Seven days of him initiating is a real pattern — but let's not rename it "clicked" yet. Missing what you had and doing the work to keep it are two different rooms, and you already sound like you know that. The work part is the bigger win. You stopped being the only one carrying the whole shift and said it out loud: same goal, help the customers, but I'm not doing it all. That's not mean, that's a boundary. Being the only one who asked if Carmen was okay while she hands her loyalty where it gets her nothing — you clocked it and then stopped subsidizing it. That's self-respect, not a slap in her face. So keep the foot down. Let Andy keep showing up without you chasing. A streak is nice; consistency when it's inconvenient is the tell.
Seven days of him initiating is a real pattern — but let's not rename it "clicked" yet. Missing what you had and doing the work to keep it are two different rooms, and you already sound like you know that. The work part is the bigger win. You stopped being the only one carrying the whole shift and said it out loud: same goal, help the customers, but I'm not doing it all. That's not mean, that's a boundary. Being the only one who asked if Carmen was okay while she hands her loyalty where it gets her nothing — you clocked it and then stopped subsidizing it. That's self-respect, not a slap in her face. So keep the foot down. Let Andy keep showing up without you chasing. A streak is nice; consistency when it's inconvenient is the tell.
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