do you have lovers? not just a partner, but lovers—a handful of people you share romance with, go on dates with, kiss, have sex with. maybe they’re friends, maybe they’re not, but they’re your lovers. i know all this is steeped in heteroromantic, hegemonic ideas of what intimacy is supposed to look like—but you know what i mean. the word lover feels rare these days, but it holds something deep—something different from ‘partner’ or ‘casual.’ a lover is someone you share intimacy with, affection, something that lingers. maybe you have one, maybe you have many. but there’s something about calling someone a lover that feels timeless, a little dramatic, a little poetic. personally, i love my lovers. i love seeing them get along, i love the way they fit into my life in different ways. some are my friends, some aren’t, but i love them all the same. what do you think?