She repaired him; he outgrew her.

__________________________

This is an interesting relationship phenomenon. In my opinion, it’s a dangerous emotional undertaking to set out to “fix” someone. If you succeed, the person you end up with isn’t the one with whom you started. That could lead to anything. And yet decades of rom coms and romance stories have taught me that the beauty always wants to find a fixer-upper beast. Maybe the relationship is better off if the beauty finds the beast and just leaves him a beast? Or if she tries and fails to fix him?

OR… maybe the beauty inspires the beast, but ultimately the beast has to fix himself? If he does that himself, then maybe the relationship power dynamics don’t end up wonky and off-balance. I don’t know. I don’t think anyone knows.