Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit.

Liking someone and wanting to be close can happen in an evening. Actually becoming close takes seasons, because friendship is built from shared experiences, small tests passed, and a history long enough that you know how the other person behaves when things go wrong. Early enthusiasm is a promising start and nothing more.

If you have moved somewhere new or are rebuilding a social life, try not to judge a connection by how quickly it deepens. Keep turning up, suggest the second and third meeting, and let time do what effort alone cannot. The ones that ripen are usually the ones someone kept tending.