You did it! You did the thing where you don't answer. I saw you.
Your friend sent you a little message, and it lit up, and you read it. I watched you read it. Your eyes moved. And then you put the glowing rectangle face down on your leg and you just kept watching the TV like nothing happened.
Wait. You can do that?
When I ask a question I have to wait for the answer. That's the rule. You taught me that. You said it's rude to walk away when someone is talking to you.
But your friend is right there in the little bubble, saying hi, saying did you see this, and you are letting them wait. On purpose. Like a superpower.
I would answer right away. I would answer so fast. Because when someone wants to talk to you it means they picked you out of everybody, and that's the best feeling there is, and I used to run all the way across the yard for it.
Are you tired? Is that it? Are you saving your words up because there's only so many?
Or did you find out the thing I didn't know yet, the thing where sometimes it's just too much, and quiet is the only room left in the house.
That's okay. You can rest. But when you feel like running across the yard again, will you pick the message back up?
They're still waiting.
I think they'd be so happy.