I wanted to tell her I cared about all of them. That it wasn't about collecting people, it was about connection, about finding pieces of myself in everyone I met. But looking at her, I knew she wouldn't believe me. And honestly, I wasn't sure if I believed it either.
"You think you can balance all of this," she said, softer now but still firm. "But it's not balance, Evan. It's chaos. And I can't let my child grow up in that."
The room was silent again, the air thick with words I didn't know how to say. My heart was pounding, my head was spinning.
"Say something," she whispered. "Anything."
I looked down at my hands. "You're right."
Her eyes widened slightly, caught off guard.
"You're right," I said again. "I've been chasing too much. Trying to fill every gap in my life with someone else's love. I thought if I had enough people around me, I'd stop feeling empty. But that's not how it works."
