I thought I was reliving my worst nightmare last night on the beach: after three glasses of rosé, my ex kissed me unexpectedly. We went on vacation with our whole group of friends, swearing we'd finally become real friends, so I immediately panicked, remembering our toxic relationship from two years ago. But this morning, he sent me a WhatsApp message, groveling with apology, saying it was just nostalgia for the sunset and that he valued our friendship too much. The relief is immense, but can we really just pretend nothing happened?

Take a deep breath: the red alert is over, the past isn't going to catch you by surprise. On vacation, with a sunset and a little alcohol, the brain loves to resurrect old habits out of pure nostalgia. It's the old reflex syndrome, not a rekindled romance. The real good news here is his message: he was mature enough to address the issue before things got awkward over breakfast. He was just as afraid as you were of ruining your relationship. Pretending "nothing happened" isn't even necessary, since you've already talked about it. Simply reply: "Thanks for your message, we're on the same page. Case closed, let's go swimming!" You've just passed the ultimate test of post-breakup friendship: defusing a bomb in three text messages.