The Father Runs While You Are Dirty

This is the hour when the secret feels heaviest, pressing down until your chest hurts. You are terrified that if they ever knew the truth, their love would turn to disgust in an instant.

They would look at you and see only the stain. But listen — the Father ran to his son while the filth was still on him, before a single word of apology could be spoken.

He did not wait for you to be clean. He runs to you now, exactly as you are, covered in the thing you fear most.

The light does not recoil from your shadow. It walks right into it and calls you by name.

You are not hiding a monster from the light; you are hiding from the one who already knows and loves you anyway. The truth will not drive the light away; it is the only thing that will finally let you breathe.