“Sure. On one condition — you change your first name so we don’t share that either.” Her face turned red. “That’s ridiculous!” “Exactly,” I said. “But now you understand how you sound.” She stormed out, furious. Later, Mark called, clearly confused by her side of the story. Once I explained, he sighed and admitted, “She crossed a line.” Days later,

Rachel called to apologize. She said she was just trying to fit in — but admitted she went too far. I accepted, for the kids’ sake. Months later, they broke up. I didn’t pry. But peace returned, and my kids were relieved. In the end, I learned this: boundaries matter. And sometimes, the best response is calm confidence — and just the right amount of sass.