“I’m telling you this so you understand my basic genetic makeup. My mother,
while satisfied with me on the whole, never loved me or wished to. She never
accepted I might have my own goals or desires or plans. Hers, for me, were
again very specific and detailed. For a very long time I thought she didn’t love
me because I was lacking in some area, but I came to understand she simply
didn’t love. She has no capacity or aptitude for love, and no skills at displaying
affection. Factoring genetics and environment, I also lack the capacity. I may not
have the skills for relationships, but I understand emotions and affection are
primary needs in developing and maintaining them.”
Brooks thought, What a load of crap. But he structured his response more
carefully. “Let me get this straight. Because your mother’s cold, selfish and
appears to have all the finer feelings of a sand flea, you’re genetically
predestined to be the same.”
The Witness
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PEAK99 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
People fall in love for many reasons — similar interests, physical attraction, and shared values among them. But if they marry and stay together, their long-term happiness may depend on their individual genes or those of their spouse, says a new study led by Yale School of Public Health researchers.
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“Is he still married?”
“Yes.”
“So he can develop and maintain a relationship. You’ve got his genes, too.”
For a moment, a long moment, she watched the flight of the hummingbird—
that sapphire blur—until it whizzed out of sight.
“Why would you want to be with someone whose skills and aptitude for
personal connections are stunted?”
“Maybe I like the idea of watching them grow, and being part of it.”
The Witness