The author is an artist based in Altadena. She has a degree in illustration from ArtCenter College of Design. See more of her work on Instagram @lilitoddart and on her website lilitodd.com.
L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published 950- to 1,000-word essay. (Occasionally we work with artists and cartoonists on illustrated stories.) Email your essay to LAAffairs@latimes.com. You can find past columns here.
