Rick snapped himself out of his train of thought. He finally gathered enough courage to initiate the dreaded conversation. “Elsa, I’ve been meaning to tell you something… actually for months now…,” he said, his voice shaky, the next morning. Elsa came and sat beside him. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I love you with all my heart. But, not too long ago, I met a man whom I am dangerously drawn to…” Elsa was quiet. Rick searched her eyes for a reaction, any reaction at all. He was expecting anger, tears, a fit, perhaps. But there she was, calm and poised as ever. He was prepared for anything but that.
“We’ve been friends since childhood, Rick… We’ve literally grown up together… I am not sad or hurt or angry. I’ve known this for a while. If anything, I admire your courage and honesty,” she said softly. An awkward silence filled the air. “So, how is it going between you and Kenny?” she broke the silence. “Wait… How do you know Kenny?” Rick looked puzzled. “Well, he is a friend of mine from work… I thought you two would be perfect for each other, and I might have told him about you…” Elsa replied timidly. Taking his hands in hers, she then quickly added, “Kenny is a good man, Rick. He truly loves you.”
“Are you saying that you set us up?” Rick asked, his eyes wide. Elsa nodded. “We’re still friends, right?” she asked. “Of course,” Rick smiled as he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.