Serena
I didn’t bother turning on the light.
The darkness felt cleaner.
No pretense. No performance.
Just shadow and silence—the kind I could breathe in without choking on expectation.
I stood at the edge of the room for a long moment, letting the hush settle into my bones. My reflection blinked at me from the window glass—sharp, still trembling, but alive.
God, I was so alive.
More than I had been in months. Maybe ever.
I peeled the jacket from my shoulders like a second skin, letting it fall to the floor. The silk blouse followed. Cold air kissed my skin, but I didn’t reach for anything to cover myself. Let the chill bite. Let it remind me I wasn’t made of glass.
I wasn’t untouched.
Not anymore.
I moved to the mirror above the dresser. Not to admire. Not even to check for bloo
