I stood frozen, not out of shyness, but out of disappointment. He nudged me forward, whispering, “Come on, they’re waiting.” His family smiled, but their eyes searched my face. And in that moment, I realized something: it wasn’t about them. It was about him — and the fact that he didn’t hear me, didn’t honor what I asked for.
I sat down, smiled politely, and made it through the evening. But later, as we drove home in silence, I told him the truth. “When I said I wanted it to be just us, I meant it. Tonight wasn’t a celebration of us, it was another reminder that sometimes, I feel invisible.”