Artwork: Nami Yokoyama, drawing from series *Memories of Love and Me,* 2025, charcoal and pencil on paper, old frame

I called him Love—

and I took him to the beach, where I wrote words in the sand, built a sandcastle and later, sat by a bonfire.

I took him skating, and he ran beside me.

I took him camping, and we sat in the tent with a lamp lit against the dark.

I took him flying in a plane, riding on a horse, and on my moped for long drives.

I took him with me for daily walks, past empty buildings and houses, sometimes at night where we’d sit on benches under the street lamps.

I took him to galleries to look at art, and one day I painted a picture of him.

I took him to a lake where we sat on the pier, then went out on the water in a boat.

And he sat with me while I ate, watched TV, watered the plants, looked out the window at the sky, lay on the couch, read a book, played Jenga, heated water for tea, played the piano, and did my homework.

I called him Love, and he was with me, everywhere.

(Story inspired by Nami Yokoyama’s series of drawings Memories of Love and Me, 2025, charcoal and pencil on paper, old frames)