In Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer there is a part when Avital rejects Ethan’s kiss because of her illness, she is so distracted and can’t have a relationship right now because the pelvic pain was always worse and worse. This happened when Ethan was helping Avital and working extra hours because she couldn’t work at the bakery alone, they started looking at each other’s lips and they kissed, at the half of the kiss Avital told him that she couldn´t.
“Why are you so good to me?” she asked quietly.
“Because you’re good to me,” he said simply.
Her heart ached. Here he was again, saying all the right things.
“So where does that leave us?” Avital asked sadly. “A woman who can’t have relationships , and a man who’s lying to everyone about his identity?”
“I don’t know,” Ethan said, resting his head on her shoulder. “But we’ll figure it out together.” (p. 250).
This part of the book really breaks me out because both of them want to be together but the fear of not being enough, being disappointed and being in a relationship is stronger. So we can see that two broken people with a lot of personal issues is not helping. To love other people, you have to love yourself first.