Maria:
I wake up already knowing I’m not going to enjoy today. It isn’t even anything dramatic. It’s just this quiet resistance sitting in my chest, like my body has already decided it doesn’t agree with whatever is about to happen. I lie there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, then turn to check my phone out of habit. Nothing new that matters. I drop it back on the bed and sit up.
By the time I get dressed, I feel composed on the outside at least. That’s something. The fabric of the dress feels smooth against my skin, but it doesn’t settle the unease underneath.
Downstairs, my parents are already ready. Of course they are. My mother looks put together in that effortless way that definitely takes effort, and my father is scrolling through something on his phone.
“Why are we doing t
