Fifteen-year-old Emma had considered shaving her arms after Tyler said their appearance embarrassed him.
Rather than confront him over dinner, Daniel opened a conversation about how a former boyfriend’s criticism had made me hide my smile for years.
He wanted Emma to see that someone else’s judgment didn’t have to define her. Later, Tyler revealed that teammates bullied him about his eczema. Afraid of more ridicule, he had passed their cruelty along to Emma instead of defending her.
Tyler eventually apologized, but Emma chose to end the relationship. She still cared about him; she simply didn’t want affection that required hiding herself.
When he later challenged another teammate’s insult, she thanked him without agreeing to reunite. Daniel hadn’t arranged dinner to force a breakup.
He wanted her to recognize that she had a choice. By the end, Emma was wearing short sleeves again—and drawing a portrait of me laughing freely.