But mostly I wondered why the head could move so swiftly while the heart dragged its feet. I still loved him. It felt like anything else permanent that has gone missing; a lost tooth, a severed leg. You might know better, but that doesn't keep your tongue from poling at the hole in your gum, or your phantom limb from aching.
The narrator expresses a conflict between the mind and emotions, where thoughts can move on faster than feelings. Despite the passage of time and rational understanding, the lingering affection for someone remains strong, creating a sense of emotional dissonance. The struggle between moving forward intellectually and being tethered to love illustrates the complexity of human emotions.
This internal battle is likened to the pain of losing something significant, emphasizing how loss...