But the story doesn’t let readers stay comfortable with those assumptions. The two women sit, listen, and engage in ways that unsettle the expected narrative. They’re sharp, curious, and unexpectedly thoughtful. They ask questions that expose gaps in other people’s understanding; they answer with a mix of wit and vulnerability that reframes the room. Little acts—correcting a misread line in a poem, volunteering an overlooked fact, offering gentle but unflinching feedback—become catalysts. The lesson widens: perception is not just mistaken; it’s often self-serving.