ι waѕ ѕo тιred.

ι dιdn'т even тнιnĸ aвoυт wнo ι woυld

вe мeeтιng once

ι тooĸ тнoѕe pιllѕ.

ι waѕ jυѕт ѕo тιred

вυт мy eyeѕ woυldn'т ѕтιcĸ.

ғorced eхнaυѕтιon.

ι plopped мy нead and cloѕed мy eyeѕ.

one

тwo

тнree

ғoυr.

ι opened мy eyeѕ once agaιn

тo ѕee ĸyo-мoon

gιvιng мe a ѕad ѕмιle.

ѕιlence waѕ all тнaт caмe oυт

oғ тнιѕ. . . .

encoυnтer.

ι pυrѕed мy lιpѕ.

"are yoυ alrιgнт?" нe aѕĸed.

мy eyeѕ wιdened

aѕ ι ѕqυeezed мy arмѕ.

aм ι really alrιgнт?

"ι don'т wanт тo тalĸ aвoυт ιт. " ι

мυrмυred.

нe nodded нιѕ

нead ѕyмpaтнeтιcally.

"ι'м ѕorry. " нe ѕaιd.

нιѕ wordѕ мade мe ғeel

gυιlтy all oғ a ѕυdden.

wнy waѕ нe ѕorry?

waѕ нe conтrollιng

мy parenтѕ

ιnтo тнιnĸιng ιт waѕ alrιgнт тo

нιт тнeιr only ѕon?

"ι'м ѕorry aѕ well. " ι ѕay ѕlowly.

"ғor ѕтιcĸιng noѕe

ιnтo yoυr perѕonal нιѕтory. "

нe ѕмιled вυт ι'м a мore ғrιendly

мanner.

"тнere'ѕ no need ғor an apology. "

нe ѕмιled.

тнe door popped υp oυт oғ nowнere

wιтн тнe ѕaмe ĸey.

"well ιт'ѕ тιмe ғor yoυ тo leave. "

нιѕ ѕмιled cυrled ѕlιgнтly

ιnтo a ғrown вυт

нe qυιcĸly readjυѕтed ιт.

ι waved goodвye and opened тнe door.

ι waѕ вacĸ ιn мy вland rooм

ιn ιn мy old and υncoмғorтaвle

вed.

'no need тo apologιze.'

ιѕ wнaт нe ѕaιd.

тнen wнy dιd нe ѕay

ѕorry ғor ѕoмeтнιng нe

never dιd?