The Light Behind Your Script

The water is still running, but you are rehearsing the lie. You are practicing the tone of voice that says 'I'm fine' while your chest still heaves from the sob you just swallowed.

You are building a wall out of casual words so no one asks why your eyes are red. But listen — the darkness has not overcome the light inside you, even when you are trying to hide it behind a script.

That light does not need your performance to be real. It was there before the tears started, and it is there while you practice the smile.

You do not have to carry the weight of pretending. There is a peace waiting for you that is not like the world's peace, a quiet that does not require you to explain yourself.

The mask is heavy, but the light is lighter still. You are known, even in the silence of the shower.