Angry Old Woman

As Natalie finished her ice cream and a sense of calm returned, Justin asked, "Do you want to talk about the nightmare you had?"

She fell silent, only to hear him add, "I was just asking—only if you feel comfortable. If not, maybe another day when you're ready and trust me enough."

After a brief pause, she finally spoke. "It's not that I don't trust you or want to keep it from you. It's just… I've never talked about it with anyone." She exhaled softly, her hands trembling slightly. "At this moment, I just don't feel like talking about it. It's not something pleasant that I would ever want to talk about. Maybe I just need a little more time."

Justin put his hand on her trembling one's in an assuring hold, "Take your time. I can wait."

She finally looked at him, her gaze gentle and filled with gratitude towards him for being by her side when she was so vulnerable. "Thank you so much."