“I did,” I said softly. “A few times.”
She looked down, then nodded. “You’re right. I just didn’t listen.”
“I guess I assumed we’d do what we always do,” she said. “I didn’t think about how that might feel for you.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I just wanted to enjoy our time without stressing.”
She smiled. “Fair enough. Next time, tacos?”
“Tacos sound perfect.”
We laughed again, and the heaviness lifted.
As we paid, Mia reached across the table. “Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For not embarrassing me. You could’ve made it awkward—but you didn’t. You handled it with grace.”
Outside, under the soft glow of streetlights, she hugged me tight. “You taught me something tonight,” she said. “Boundaries don’t have to be mean.”
That stayed with me.Continue reading…
