The next morning didn’t feel magical.
It felt exposed.
I woke up before my alarm, stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, and lifted my hand slightly to look at the ring again. In the quiet of my room, it felt heavier than it had the night before.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Last night had been contained inside walls. Controlled and Private.
Today was different.
Today meant moving about.
I hadn’t even picked up my phone yet, but I knew messages would be waiting.
When I finally did, the screen lit up with notifications.
Family group chats.
A few close friends.
Two missed calls from Maya, even though she was literally down the hall.
And then the subtle ones, people who hadn’t said anything yet, but had definitely heard something.
Daniel hadn’t posted anything. Of course he hadn’
