She knew he'd be back. No matter how elaborate its charade, she recognized loneliness when she saw it. She sensed that in some strange tangential way, he needed her shade as much as she needed his. And she had learned from experience that Need was a warehouse that could accommodate a considerable amount of cruelty.
The protagonist understands that the man she is thinking of will return to her eventually. She perceives that his pretense to move on is just a mask for the loneliness he feels. This connection between them is deep and mutual; she acknowledges that they both rely on each other in difficult times. Their lives are intertwined in a way that transcends mere companionship.
Through her experiences, she realizes that the emotion of need can hold both tenderness and cruelty. It is a complex relationship where vulnerability exists alongside pain, showcasing the duality of human connection. The acknowledgment of their shared need illustrates how emotional dependency can shape their interactions, often carrying a weight that can be burdensome yet familiar.
