The best way to tell them

They were important to her, and this was important to her. So she wanted them to know.

But she wasn't sure how they'd take it. This was pretty new (and fragile) for her, let alone for them. And she had a history of botching this sort of thing, which she had to hear about frequently.

So she didn't tell them that he'd suddenly taken her hand and held it all the way home from the movie.

She did tell them that they'd talked.

She didn't tell them that they had spent all the time they didn't talk doing much cozier things. Initially just holding each other, staring at each other, feeling the warmth, smiling.

She did tell them that they both had feelings and had decided to give a relationship a try.

She didn't tell them that after two years of being unrequitedly in love with him, this was the craziest thing she'd ever experienced. It was exactly what she wanted and had dreamed about, and it had completely freaked her out with irrational fear the first night.

She told them what he worked with and where, and what she knew about his family.

She didn't tell them that his eyes were the colour of the sea and that she couldn't stare at them for more than 6 seconds before turning bashful and having to lower her gaze.

She told them that they were going to try things a small step at a time, see how it worked out.

She didn't tell them that the first few steps had been like a major personality revolution for her in the stretch of 4 days.

She told them it was a relief to not have to hide her feelings anymore. She felt more relaxed around him now.

She didn't say that thinking about him made her heart sing and tie itself into knots, her body tense and relaxed at the same time (like a cat's) and that she felt like her blood had been carbonated.

She told them that she was really tired and worn out from her ballet class.

She didn't tell them that there was another reason, having to do with both of them getting very little sleep during the last three days.

They told her: good for her. Don't expect too much, just see how it goes.

She said she had to go home and finish working on her thesis-writing.

She didn't tell them that she fell asleep almost before coming home, out of pure blissful exhaustion.

The one thing she didn't understand was why she hadn't been able to tell them HOW HAPPY SHE WAS.

But she figured that maybe she could tell them later.