They don’t press me for an answer. I am lost in thought and it must be clear on my face because they just sit in silence allowing me to process… Desert arrives and we eat in quiet. Once we are done, we stand to leave, nothing having been since her question to me. We say generic goodbyes, but Saoirse stops me from walking away, letting Liza head to the door. “Here is my number. You can always text me. I do want to leave you with this one thing. Mating was not like losing myself. It was like finding the piece of me that I never knew I was missing. So if your fear is that you will no longer be you… it is not true… You will be more you than you have ever been.” She pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek, handing me the paper with her number. I take it and nod, tears threatenin
