Maya laughed, but it felt breathless. He’d caught her. Every time things felt too easy, too sweet, her internal alarm went off. How am I supposed to love somebody else when I’m still figuring out how to let them love me?
As the upbeat tempo of a familiar song drifted through the diner speakers, Maya found herself tapping her fingers against her coffee mug. Am I ready? The words looped in her head. She had done the work. She’d spent months turning her mirrors into shrines of self-love, practicing the art of being "fine" until she actually was. "You're doing that thing again," Leo said, his voice warm. "What thing?" "The 'I'm about to run out the door' thing." Lizzo - 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) (Lyrics)
She thought about the lyrics she’d screamed in her car just that morning. She’d spent so long being her own hero that the idea of a partner felt like a disruption to her peace. She was "2 Be Loved," sure—theoretically. But the "Am I Ready" part felt like a mountain she hadn't finished climbing. Maya laughed, but it felt breathless