It was a free period at college, and Maria sat with her close friends Cassandra and Laura, enjoying some light-hearted girl talk.
Laughter flowed as freely as the conversation, and for a while, everything felt easy and carefree.
Out of nowhere, Maria turned to the girls with a curious grin.
"So, who are you both dating?" she asked suddenly.
The question caught both Laura and Cassandra off guard. Their eyes widened slightly, not expecting such a direct topic shift.
"I'm not dating anyone at the moment," Laura replied, her tone calm, her face lit with a soft smile.
"There was this guy I was getting close to in Canada before we moved to Scotland, but it never got serious. And honestly, I'm not a fan of long-distance stuff... so, yeah, no one for now."
Just as Cassandra opened her mouth to respond, Maria cut in with a playful smirk.
"Oh please, I already know you're not dating. Unless you've changed your mind about becoming a nun?" she teased.
