“I told you he’d forgive you for lying to him,” Merry said, swatting Angus’ arm before she came over and joined our hug. Then Angus joined in. Then Bonny did and Anwar, all laughing, but eventually I pulled back and wiped my face. I looked up into Hennessy’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. Do you forgive me?”

He nodded. “Next time, talk to me.”

“I will. I promise.” Then I turned around to the other group attendees, knowing I should explain or apologise or something. “I’m sorry. That’s two group meetings and two episodes of tears. Two for two, because that’s how I roll. Stay tuned for next month’s party trick. No crying though. It’s so last season.”

They laughed, which was a relief. “So,” Glenn hedged, looking between me and Hennessy. “You two are a thing?”

“Yes,” Hennessy answered. “We met at the last meeting, but I couldn’t figure out where I knew him from. Turns out we catch the same bus, and we started talking.”

Bonny tilted her head, then squinted at us. “Oh my God! You’re Jordan… You’re the boys on the bus!”

“The what?” I asked.

“My mum has talked non-stop about two boys who fell in love on the bus! Every day this month, it’s like a soap opera. Every night she tells us all what happened. There’s been recipes too! It’s like the craziest thing!”

Oh God. Soap operas and recipes… “Is your mum Mrs Petrovski?” I asked.

Bonny nodded. “Yes!”

“She lectured me this afternoon. She wanted to know why Hennessy wasn’t on the bus and I word-vomited all over her. She told me I had to communicate better.”

Bonny grimaced. “Yep, that’s my mum.”

“Well, she’s not wrong,” Hennessy said, pulling me against him in a side-on kind of hug. “He does need to tell me what’s bothering him.”

I fisted his shirt at his back and inhaled deeply before looking at Bonny. “Well, you can tell your mum it all worked out.”

“She’s going to be so pissed she missed this,” she said.

“I also owe her a recipe,” I added. “I’ll have something for her on Monday, I promise.”

Bonny grinned and shook her head. “I cannot believe it’s you two. What a small world.”

Then Hennessy cleared his throat. “I just want to say that while tonight’s topic was personally motivated, it’s still relevant. No matter where we are in our realisation of our sexuality, sometimes a reminder can do us all a favour.”

“I think it proves how relevant it is,” Sabina said. “I first realised I was asexual years ago, but having social expectations and internalised sexualities reaffirmed every now and then is important. My circumstances have changed since I first came out. I’m not the same person. But I’m still valid.”

Nataya put her hand on Sabina’s arm. “You are.”