querinous – adj. longing for a sense of certainty in a relationship; wishing there were some way to know ahead of time whether this is the person you’re going to wake up next to for twenty thousand mornings in a row, instead of having to count them out one by one, quietly hoping your streak continues
I hope most of you don’t have querinous for long in your relationships, and certainly none of it if you’re married or otherwise committed. As I watch my kids date, and I think back to my own time as a young man looking for love, I remember this feeling. I remember wondering if new relationships were moving forward or was I missing something because of an infatuation.
We all wish we would see the future, in many ways, but certainly in relationships. I think a querinous feeling is inevitable as you begin a relationship and get to know someone else.
From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows