The moment

Mei and Tyler have been close friends since they worked at the same bookstore in New York. On Monday, Mei sends him a short message: "Can you call me?" Her boyfriend of almost five years ended things over the weekend. Tyler means well, but his first try at cheering her up goes badly. Listen for how he notices his mistake and fixes it.

The conversation

TylerMei
  1. Tyler
  2. Mei
  3. Tyler
  4. Mei
  5. Tyler
  6. Mei
  7. Tyler
  8. Mei
  9. Tyler
  10. Mei
  11. Tyler
  12. Mei
  13. Tyler
  14. Mei

Words to know

how are you coping with something hard

expect something before it happens

focus on the good part of a bad situation

upset and not handling things well yet

you don't have to explain or discuss anything

Check yourself

1Why does Mei say "Tyler, please"?
2How does Tyler fix his mistake?
3What does "No talking required" tell Mei?

Practice · 4 min

Round one: repeat every line in the gap. Round two: mute Tyler and say his lines. His apology, "You're right, sorry," should come fast, with no excuse after it. Round three: mute Mei. Keep her voice tired and quiet, and let "That sounds perfect, actually" lift a little at the end.

  1. TylerHey, Mei. I got your message. How are you holding up?
  2. MeiHonestly, not great. Jun and I broke up on Saturday night.
  3. TylerOh no, I'm so sorry. You two were together for, what, four years?
  4. MeiAlmost five. He said he doesn't see a future with me anymore.
  5. TylerThat's awful. Did you see it coming at all, or was it sudden?
  6. MeiNot really. We've both been busy, but I thought we were fine.
  7. TylerWell, look on the bright side. You'll find someone way better, trust me.
  8. MeiTyler, please. It's been two days. I'm not ready to hear that yet.
  9. TylerYou're right, sorry. That was a terrible thing to say. Forget it.
  10. MeiIt's OK. I know you're trying to help. I'm a bit of a mess.
  11. TylerAnyone would be. Do you want to talk, or would you rather have a distraction?
  12. MeiDistraction, please. I've been crying in my apartment all weekend.
  13. TylerThen I'm bringing dumplings and a silly comedy over tonight. No talking required.
  14. MeiThat sounds perfect, actually. Thanks for being here, Tyler.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.