Chapter 15

" S ocrates basically argued that love was bullshit. He was fancier about it, so I'm paraphrasing," Marni said as the others laughed. "But I'm serious. He philosophized that we only want what we can't have, and thus it's always fleeting, never deep. I know this puts me in the minority in our romance-obsessed culture, but I think he was on to something."

"Of course you do," Ella replied with a giggle.

Marni shrugged and helped herself to another stuffed grape leaf off the Greek meze platter Ella had prepared for their meeting. "These are delicious. The hummus too. I so love it when you host our club. I'm the worst."

"Nonsense. Who doesn't enjoy stale crackers and tap water? And so clever to use toilet paper in lieu of napkins," Ella joked.

Jade laughed, covering her mouth.

Dante looked at Marni. "When you're done gorging yourself, try to remember that we're supposed to be inspiring Ella for her book project. Your gloom and doom is more likely to put her off the whole thing."

"First of all, you went to town on that olive tapenade," Marni rebuffed, giving him the side-eye. "Second, what can I say? I'm a realist. Besides, take a look around. We're basically having this discussion in Prince Charming's castle, and Ella's growing another one of his love children as we speak. I don't think she's falling off the romantic love bandwagon anytime soon."

Ella smiled and touched her belly. "Fear not, I am resistant to the pessimism. These days, I feel especially hopeful."

"That may be the pregnancy hormones talking," Marni quipped.

Ella smirked.

"I'm a terrible friend, I admit it. Seriously, how have you been feeling?" Marni asked.

"Never better. I can feel our little one fluttering around. I've hardly had the time to write a thing because I want to give Betty as much attention as possible before she has to share me, but I do feel inspired. It's strange because I used to think of love as something we want for ourselves, but now . . ."

Marni raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not sure. All I do know is that I feel consumed by love, and it's all directed at my family. Being with them, nurturing them, experiencing life with them." Ella crinkled her nose and shook her head. "It's the way I feel most alive."

"Sounds like you're an Aristotle girl. He believed that love requires us to focus on what is best for the other, not ourselves. There's nobility in that, beauty," Dante said.

"But to do that, he believed we must first love ourselves so that we can best love others," Jade added.

"Ah, finally something I can get behind," Marni said. She turned to Ella and asked, "What do you think?"

"Wouldn't that create a dialectical? If we focus on what's best for those we love, then they would simultaneously be focusing on what's best for us. It's reciprocal," Ella said.

"When you cut through it all, the question becomes: Is love about focusing on what's best for others, or should self-love come before all else?" Marni said.

"Maybe that's not really the question." Ella leaned back on the sofa. "Perhaps it's more complicated. I think the question is: When it comes to love, is it even a question of self and other, or something else entirely?"