The Light That Sees Behind Your Mask

The screen lights up. A number you don't know.

And for a split second, your stomach drops before you even swipe to answer. You know the voice on the other end won't care about your story, only the debt you can't pay.

So you put on the mask. You walk into work, you smile at your coworkers, you type out emails with steady hands.

But inside, you are bracing for the impact. You are performing okayness while the fear of exposure sits like a stone in your throat.

The world sees a functional employee. It does not see the person who is one phone call away from unraveling.

But there is a light that sees behind the mask. It knows the number on the screen.

It knows the balance in the account. And it does not flinch.

This light does not demand you fix the mess before it will stay with you. It walks into the office with you.

It sits in the chair beside you. It is the truth that lives in us, and it will be with us forever.

You do not have to hold the performance together for this light to love you. It sees the fear, and it calls you by name anyway.

The mask is heavy, but you were never meant to wear it alone.