We discussed work, money, family, and the futures we imagined for ourselves.
He never flirted with me.
I never flirted with him.
But I began noticing things I had no business noticing.
The way his face softened when he talked about his younger sister. The way he listened without interrupting. The way he never made me feel foolish for asking questions.
One evening, after Delaney had spent an hour criticizing his decision not to accept a job in Philadelphia, Caleb sat on his porch steps looking exhausted.
I was leaving for home when he called my name.
“Willa, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think I’m wasting my life?”
I turned around.
“What?”
“Delaney thinks I could do more. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I’m just comfortable here.”
I sat beside him.
“Caleb, there’s a difference between being comfortable and being afraid to try something new. But there’s also a difference between building the life you want and spending your entire life trying to impress somebody else.”
