A Friend in the Dark

by Samantha M. Bailey

No matter what I did, everyone got his attention but me. Eventually I gave up trying because feeling unwanted is worse than no intimacy at all.

I remember being in this kind of relationship. Feels awful.

To me, the endless possibilities are terrifying. I’ve always had a checklist: receive a college degree, get married, have a child, build a home, be settled. It soothed me in its predictability; Dave soothed me by being my trusted partner in the chaos of life. Not knowing what comes next makes me feel adrift.

It’s shocking how quickly life splinters into before and after.

Her response to my question about visiting her soon is a simple thumbs-up emoji, but I’ll take it.

I thought Gen Z didn't use the thumbs-up emoji? Unless she's trying to be rude, which I guess would track with her relationship with her mom.