ADVERTISEMENT
The Fortress at the Graveside

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

I scrolled social media one night and regretted it instantly.
I stared at my phone while rain tapped against the window and something inside me hardened.

At work, I was efficient. Quiet. Invisible.
Until someone noticed.
Ruth from finance stopped me one Friday evening, her eyes kind but direct. She told me I looked like someone carrying too much alone. She bought me a drink. Then another.

When I finally cried, it wasn’t dramatic. It was quiet. Controlled. Years of restraint finding a crack.
She handed me a business card.