Quality

Thompson and Miyamura held a courthouse ceremony with their favorite bartender and barista as paid witnesses; they did not hold a fancy formal reception later, but threw a casual party where people were encouraged to wear comfy clothes and drink and eat through the slides. "We met after angry phases," Thompson said. "And depressive episodes," added Miyamura. "It can be tricky to navigate this life when the quality of your love is poor," they said in tandem (and that got everybody's attention). "Part of it is suffered and learned, inherited," Thompson explained. "And part of it is replicated and turned into a habit or lifestyle," Miyamura added. "It is very difficult to come back to a belief that love is simple and easy when you have made your life complicated and exhausting." There was silence. "I am smiling in all of these pictures," Thompson said, "but look at my eyes. There is no light in them. None at all." After a moment, Miyamura said, very gently, "Tonight, as our gift to you, we are going to tell you how to find love - in yourself and other people. How to believe it really exists and release yourself from the ways you've sold yourself to buy it ... suspecting all along that you couldn't afford the real thing." No one moved. "You can leave if this doesn't interest you; that's perfectly okay," they said with a bow before continuing. And no one moved then either.