Chapter 172: Tuesday (7)
"Okay, what’s bothering you?" Jack asked Nora.
"I’m concerned that you are rushing. With the exception of Madison, you soul bonded each of us after only a brief meeting. With myself and Rina, I can understand your reasons. But your intent with the others is more than just a business relationship. And it feels like you’re moving too quickly."
He wondered if she was saying this as a concerned business partner, out of sisterly concern, or if she had some other reason.
Regardless, her question reminded him of the many discussions he’d had with Fran and Jacob about relationships.
"What is the most important aspect of a healthy relationship?"
"Communication," she said decisively.
"That is a common belief, but I think it’s something else. Something deeper. Trust. We want relationships where we feel safe with that person. And I don’t mean just physically safe. I mean emotionally and physiologically safe as well. We want to feel accepted without judgment. To feel safe exposing our true self without fear of rejection."
"How can it be healthy if the person you are with never calls you out on your bullshit?" she asked.
"There is a vast gulf between ’you did a bad thing’ and ’you are a bad person’. The former is criticism; the latter is rejection. You can accept someone and still offer constructive criticism."
"Okay, but why bring this up?"
"A soul bond makes acceptance much easier, and the way I form them, it makes rejection damn near impossible. Consider what Madison did and look at the kind of relationship we have. If I had learned about what she did without a soul bond. We would not be friends."
"The way she tells it, you almost killed her," admonished Nora.