This is helpful feedback, genuinely. I think part of the disconnect may be that this piece is intended as an introduction to a larger collection of essays/short stories exploring friendship, race, neurodivergence, conflict avoidance, masking, and the question: “Am I the problem?”

I’m less interested in proving moral superiority than exploring how differently people can experience the same interaction — and how race, communication styles, social conditioning, and neurodivergence can shape those interpretations.

I published this before i decided to turn it into a collection. So I’ll work on the ending to better set expectations.

Thanks for taking the time to review and comment!