Saturday's glass meeting room contained three laptops, separate printed notes, plus no signature page. We agreed the first draft would collect fears and needs without converting any sentence into immediate commitment.
Nina placed her printed fear page inside the center of our shared table first. The title concerned what happened if the structure hurt us, while her first line addressed endings rather than sex.
"If Kofi and I break up, I cannot promise cheerful group contact," she said, reading her own language aloud.
Thea asked whether Nina wanted temporary space or authority over every remaining connection. Nina wanted thirty days without required group events, plus individual discussion concerning friendship after the immediate shock.
"I cannot demand you stop dating him," Nina said toward Thea, making the possible loss concrete.
"You can say continued dating would change our friendship," Thea replied, refusing false consequence-free language.
