1. The blueprint is a lie, but the curiosity is real. 2. Awkwardness isn’t the enemy. Pretending it doesn’t exist is. 3. A good relationship doesn’t start with a perfect kiss. It starts with someone who lets you be bad at things and then tries again with you.
“I’d like to,” he said. “If you want. We don’t have to kiss or anything. We could just… try the fumbling part first.” 1. The blueprint is a lie
Mila’s heart thumped. This was the voorlichting part she hadn’t expected: the quiet permission to be unsure. Mr. Hendriks had called it “emotional vocabulary.” He’d handed out a sheet of sentence starters: “I feel _____ when you _____ because _____.” She’d rolled her eyes at the time. 1. The blueprint is a lie