You Do Not Have to Be Invisible

You are standing in the hallway, holding your breath, listening to the rhythm of someone else's sleep to make sure it is safe to move. The floorboards feel like traps.

The silence feels like a test you might fail if you make a sound. But the light does not require you to be invisible to be loved.

It knows the weight of your foot before you even lift it. It knows the ache in your legs from standing still so long.

There is a place inside you that does not need to tiptoe. A room where you can walk loudly, where you can be fully, unapologetically present without fear of waking the peace.

You do not have to earn the right to exist in this house by being quiet. The love that holds this home is stronger than the sound of your step.

Go ahead. Move.

The floor will hold you. The air will not break.

You are allowed to take up space, even in the dark.