Do not tell yourself tomorrow that you just needed sleep.

Do not tell yourself you had no choice, that your mother made you, that the meeting mattered.

Tell yourself the actual truth about what you are choosing tonight.

That’s all I ask.

Just be honest with yourself about it.”

The space around us had gone quiet, the strangers in their chairs pretending not to listen and listening to every word.

And I found that I had stopped begging.