“You know what’s weird?” I said. “For the first time in a while, I feel respected.”
Erin tapped her spoon against mine.
“That’s because you finally respected yourself first.”
And honestly, that mattered more than the date ever could.
I left her apartment later that night feeling lighter than I had in months.
Not because dating suddenly seemed easy.
But because I had finally remembered that wanting fairness, honesty, and respect is not asking for too much.
It’s the bare minimum.
And I’m never apologizing for that again.
