He’d memorized her allergies before he’d memorized her birthday.
This was a fact Priya hadn’t noticed about herself until three months in, ordering takeout, when he’d quietly asked the restaurant to leave off the cashews without her saying a word.
“How did you know that?”
“You mentioned it. Once. At the party where we met.”
“That was four months ago. I don’t even remember saying it.”
“You said it to someone else,” he said. “I was eavesdropping, technically. I just—” He shrugged, slightly embarrassed. “I wanted to know things about you. Even the boring administrative ones.”
She’d thought about this a lot over the following years, the strange tenderness of being catalogued so early, before either of them had admitted to wanting anything from the other. He’d built a small file of her in his head before she’d handed him permission to.
Now, eight years in, he still checked labels without thinking about it. Still asked the waiter automatically. Still kept a note in his phone — she’d found it once by accident — that wasn’t a love letter, wasn’t poetry, was just a flat, practical list: cashews, shellfish, the specific brand of soap that made her skin react.
It wasn’t romantic, this list. And it was the most romantic thing she’d ever found on his phone.
Marcus came in from the kitchen holding two plates, hers cashew-free without comment.
“You’re staring,” he said.
“I love you,” she said. “In a very specific, slightly unglamorous way.”
“That’s the only way I know how to take it.” He set the plate down. “Eat.”
Love, she thought, often looks like administration. Like remembering the boring things. Like never once making you ask twice.
✦ Today’s Reflection
What is a small, practical thing your partner remembers about you that has nothing to do with romance — and everything to do with care?
Love my writing? You can grab my books directly from my website or through my Amazon author page. When you purchase from my website, a larger portion of the sale goes directly to supporting my writing, allowing me to create more stories, mental health resources, and magical guides without relying on algorithms or advertising. You’ll also find exclusive bonuses, free reader gifts, and occasional special offers that aren’t always available elsewhere. If Amazon is your preferred bookstore, that’s perfectly fine too. Either way, thank you for supporting an independent author who spends an unreasonable amount of time talking to fictional people and turning it into books.
The Daily Dose of Romance has moved into its new home! Every day, a fresh FREE romance story will be waiting for you.
Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, Bsc 
Leave a comment