You’re observing your connections like a scientist today. Your most rigid relationship patterns are between specimen slides — what is it you want to dissect? The support of a therapist or the mediation of a trusted friend could help ensure both sides are being heard. Give your partner the instruction manual that spells out how they can help you feel safe, and ask for theirs. We can’t read minds, even in our most intimate entanglements. But we can map each other’s triggers and establish systems to avoid setting off tripwires.