"We communicate. Constantly." Elara pulled out parchment, already organizing. "Schedules for anchor contact, yes, but also emotional check-ins. If one of us is struggling with jealousy or feeling neglected, we say so directly rather than letting it fester. We treat this as partnership requiring maintenance, not automatic success."
"Agreed. What about boundaries? Physical, emotional, situational?"
"I need – " Elara paused, choosing words carefully. " – I need some spaces that remain just mine and Damien's. Times, places, specific intimacies that we don't share. Not because you're less important, but because I need anchors of my own in this changing dynamic."
"That's fair. I'll need the same eventually. Aspects of my relationship with him that are distinct, not just secondary to what you have."
