I braced myself for an unpleasant exchange, but to my surprise, Tara was smiling.
“It is you!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. “You look amazing! That dress is absolutely killer.”
I stood frozen for a moment, too stunned to respond. “Thanks,” I finally managed. “You… look good too.”
Tara’s expression softened when she noticed the sour look on my face. “Look, I know we weren’t exactly friends in high school. Actually, that’s putting it mildly.”
She shook her head ruefully. “I was awful to you, and I’m really sorry about that. You were always so pretty and smart, and even though you didn’t have many friends, you never seemed to care what anyone thought of you. You were just… authentic, in a way I never knew how to be.”
Her words caught me off guard. Me, authentic?
