A girl I dated once said "you like my shoes?"

It was an early morning in a coffee shop in my hometown, and the place had just gotten over the cacophony of the city lights. My feet ached as I walked, my stomach growled as I bit the pavement to keep from laughing, and I could hear the grunts of the customers outside. I wasn’t too fat or anything, but my legs were skinny and weak, and I didn’t want to be overly active. I decided to snooze while I was on my way to work, and when I came to my car, a tiny girl walked up to me, her legs dangling limply from the ground. She smiled as I spoke to her, and I tried to ignore her. But soon, as the days passed, her smile became a smile as I felt a lump in my throat growing. I asked her, “do you like my shoes?” and she smiled as I smiled back. I was mortified that anyone would say that, and yet, I had to keep my smile up as I walked away from her, away from the grunts of her customers outside. But soon, my smile began to soften as I realized just how sad and hurt I felt. My heart ached as I remembered just how she must have felt, how she must have been feeling the same pain I was experiencing. I tried to think of a way to express my condolences without making her feel so foolish. But I couldn’t think of anything else. I turned to her, smiled, and whispered “you like my shoes?” The girl stared up at me in shock. I was so ashamed of her, but at the same time, I was also so proud of her. I couldn’t help but think of her as my shoe in the sand.