As I listened to their love sounds filtering through the wall, I ruminated back on the whirlwind 48-odd-hours I'd just experienced: from

Brianna's hula girl outfit to the fight, from the rescue to the sex, and all the way through to coming back home.

Surprisingly, there was little tension between Brianna and me. All we had left was quiet regret. For example, even though we knew we were breaking up, she still held my hand for most of the flight home. And when we got back to our apartment, there were no arguments or pleas to reconsider. Brianna simply helped me pack.

By agreement, I was moving out, although I would continue paying my share of Brianna's rent. I called Danielle, who in two minutes agreed to take me in for a while under the condition that I explain everything to her after I arrived. It was a fair deal. I didn't want to ruin Kevin and Jen's recent freedom from me by going back there and besides,

Danielle was family. You can always crash with family.

And then it was time. Brianna and I were finally breaking up. True, I'd be back to gather more things; there was no way it would all fit in my car today. But this would be the last time we parted as boyfriend/ girlfriend.

I went to hug her, Brianna's head on my chest as she sniffled Lightly.

She'd had lots of time to adjust to the idea, but now that I was actually Leaving, the pain was coming back. Just like I'd done with

Claudine before, I kissed her forehead tenderly. The act simultaneously expressed my affection for her and also our newly platonic status.

Feeling it caused Brianna to burst into tears. Her head knew breaking up was the right thing to do, but her heart was still in love with me.

Her heart seized control for a moment, and I felt my head being jerked down so Brianna could give me one Last fierce kiss.

She poured her soul into me and practically sucked my lips off of my face. And when she pulled away, her eyes searched mine in a desperate last hope that she had changed my mind. But my eyes were empty. So biting her lip, Brianna nodded and then turned away.

I let myself out the door.

I felt like dirt. No, I actually felt worse Like dirt. Brianna deserved so much more. But I just couldn't force myself to love her like she needed. For the umpteenth time, I wondered what was wrong with me. I wondered if I was even capable of that kind of love anymore.

But when I arrived at my new temporary home, I Looked up at Danielle and Cherys and realized there wasn't anything wrong with me. ALL the love in my heart leaped up and my eyes came alive as I saw them. They were two of the people that meant the world to me.

And then my head REALLY started to hurt. All the yo-yoing back and forth between passionate Lust for Brianna to the fear of death in the water to the delirious happiness with Claudine to the pain of breakup with Brianna to the emotional delight at seeing my sister and Cherys was just WAY TOO MUCH.

I felt the inky black cloud of unconsciousness already creeping into my vision. And like a zombie, I hugged both girls in greeting and then staggered inside towards the guest bedroom, really just a futon and a desk that served as the girls’ junk room.

Fully dressed, I simply collapsed onto the futon and then slept.

Sometime in the night I awoke and found myself staring at the ceiling.

And as I listened to Danielle and Cherys making love with each other, for a second I thought I was back in college.

Life is circular. That meant my life would go on, and I would find happiness again.

“Hey man, how was your vacation?" Dan waved to me as I headed for my cube.

"Great," I tossed off noncommittally.

“It must have been," Marshall chimed in. "You're an hour late. Still hungover?"

"I just overslept." More specifically, I'd neglected to set any sort of alarm when I crashed last night. Danielle had come in at the last minute to wake me up on her way out the door.