Can I call again?

Of course.

Sometimes when a friend calls they don’t need advice. They need you to listen and reassure them that they aren’t a bad person for setting boundaries. You listen and speak when called. You listen and don’t insert yourself. You listen and when you expect that the process will begin again, they ask you a question.

You answer without hesitance and with the same honesty that has built your friendship. They listen and speak when called. They listen and don’t insert themselves. They listen and when you are finished you both talk of how you miss each other and when you might see each other again.