A Date With My Ex-boyfriend Dad

ound the edge of her coffee cup. The café was noisy

ooked at her then, and she wished he hadn't. There was no sadness in his eyes. No regret. Just that same distant expression he'd been giving her for months. "I feel trapped, Amelia." His voice was calm. "We've been together for three years, and it's just... too much." Too much. The words made her stomach turn. She thought back to all the times he'd canceled their plans last minute. The times he'd barely glanced at her photography, mumbling a half-hearted looks nice before returning to his phone. The way he never said I

rom running. "I swear, if I ever see Ryan, I'm throwing my drink in his face." She paused, frowning. "Actually, no. Coffee's too good to waste. Maybe a milkshake." Despite the heaviness in her chest, Amelia let out a small laugh. "That would be a crime. You love milkshakes." Sarah smirked. "True. Fine, I'll just flip him off." The weight on Amelia's shoulders eased a little. She wasn't okay, but at least she wasn't alone. Amelia stirred her coffee, watching the caramel dissolve into the frothy milk. Sarah sat across from her, arms folded, eyes scanning her face like she was waiting for a meltdown. "Say something," Sarah finally said, tilting her head. "Scream, cry, threaten to shave your head or anything. You just got dumped." Amelia sighed, setting her cup down. "What do you want me to say? That I didn't see it coming? That I feel like an idiot for thinking Ryan and I had a future?" "Yes." Sarah nodded firmly. "That's exactly what I want you to say. Because, babe, you deserve better than some indecisive, emotionally unavailable man-child." Amelia let out a dry laugh. "Wow. Tell me how you really feel." Sarah leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Okay, but for real. You spent three years supporting that guy, putting up with his flakiness, dealing with his nonsense, and for what? So he could 'feel trapped'?" She rolled her eyes. "Screw that. You should be out there, having fun." Amelia arched a brow. "And by fun, you mean what?" A slow grin spread across Sarah's face, and suddenly, Amelia knew she wasn't going to like what came next. "A blind date." Amelia groaned. "Sarah-" "No, no, hear me out!" Sarah grabbed her hand, eyes practically glowing with excitement. "It's just one night. No expectations. No pressure. Just you, a fancy dinner, and a ridiculously attractive older man." Amelia blinked. "Older?" Sarah waved a hand. "Relax, he's not ancient. He's mature. A real man. Not some immature guy who's scared of commitment." Amelia hesitated. Dating was the last thing on her mind. But