8:41 PM
They invited me out tonight.
Both of them.
To say thank you.
I almost said no.
Not because I didn't want to go —but because I wasn't sure if I belonged in the "after."
But I went.
We met at a small place near the river. Nothing fancy. Just warm.
They looked… good.
Not performative.
Just steady.
He thanked me first.
Said he knows it wasn't fair that I saw parts of him at his worst.
Said he's grateful I stayed neutral.
She thanked me differently.
Quieter.
For holding space.
For not pushing her when she didn't know what she wanted.
For not trying to fix her.
We didn't talk about the rain.
Or the bench.
Or the almost messages.
We talked about normal things.
Work.
School.
Plans for summer.
At one point I watched them when they weren't looking at me.
The way he let her finish her thoughts.
The way she didn't rush to reassure him.
It felt balanced.
Not perfect.
But balanced.
When we left, she hugged me.
He did too.
It didn't feel awkward.
It felt… complete.
Walking home, I thought about everything.
How close things were to breaking.
How long it took to rebuild trust.
How uncertain the future still is.
Nothing is guaranteed.
Not theirs.
Not mine.
Not anyone's.
But maybe that's not the point.
Maybe the point is today.
Today they chose each other.
Today I chose mine.
Today none of us are drowning.
And for now—
that's enough.