The Light Behind Your Mask

The morning light hits the mirror, and you practice the words again. You rehearse the tone, the pause, the exact moment you tell them who you love.

It feels like putting on a mask that fits too tight, a performance of okayness while your chest tightens. You are afraid the truth will break something that cannot be fixed.

But there is a light inside you that sees behind the mask, and it is not afraid of your honesty. It does not need you to be perfect to be loved.

It only asks that you stop hiding the part of you that is most alive. The courage to speak is already rising, not because you have the perfect script, but because the truth you carry is stronger than the fear of their reaction.