i could be the reason you can't sleep at night
Flora listens—really listens—as Soh speaks. She doesn't jump in. Doesn't cut her off or try to reframe the fear into something more manageable. She just watches her best friend with steady, red-rimmed eyes and lets the quiet settle for a moment.
Her voice is soft, but unyielding, like sea glass worn smooth by years of salt and truth and far too many mistakes. "You’re not pressuring him by showing up and saying how you feel. You’re not dragging him down the aisle or demanding answers—you're just… giving him all the information. The real stuff. And trusting him to do what he needs to with it."
She swallows, the movement visible in her throat. Her gaze dips toward the water but doesn’t linger, flicking back to Soh before the emotion can settle into something sticky. "You're not the same person who made those choices. You’re smarter now. Softer in the right places and stronger in others. And you want something real." Her voice trembles there, just faintly, but she holds on. “So yeah. Maybe he does need time. Maybe he wants to be sure. But I think if you show up and tell him exactly how you feel? You’ll make it easier for him to get there. To believe it."
And then, after a pause, her lips twist into something dry and familiar.
"Or..maybe you could send him a letter. Saying you're counting down the days and hours and all that romantic sort of stuff until you see him again. I just.." Pausing, Flora takes a breath. "I'm just realizing more and more that nothing is ever guaranteed and...I dunno. Time is a lot more precious than I used to think it was."
Her voice is soft, but unyielding, like sea glass worn smooth by years of salt and truth and far too many mistakes. "You’re not pressuring him by showing up and saying how you feel. You’re not dragging him down the aisle or demanding answers—you're just… giving him all the information. The real stuff. And trusting him to do what he needs to with it."
She swallows, the movement visible in her throat. Her gaze dips toward the water but doesn’t linger, flicking back to Soh before the emotion can settle into something sticky. "You're not the same person who made those choices. You’re smarter now. Softer in the right places and stronger in others. And you want something real." Her voice trembles there, just faintly, but she holds on. “So yeah. Maybe he does need time. Maybe he wants to be sure. But I think if you show up and tell him exactly how you feel? You’ll make it easier for him to get there. To believe it."
And then, after a pause, her lips twist into something dry and familiar.
"Or..maybe you could send him a letter. Saying you're counting down the days and hours and all that romantic sort of stuff until you see him again. I just.." Pausing, Flora takes a breath. "I'm just realizing more and more that nothing is ever guaranteed and...I dunno. Time is a lot more precious than I used to think it was."
