Longer
I stayed home longer than I planned. One night turned into two. Two turned into almost a week. At first, it felt like relief. Sleeping in my own bed. Eating food I didn’t have to think about. Hearing my mom moving around the house instead of the constant noise of campus. It was quieter. Softer. Safer. But even at home, something didn’t fully settle. I still checked my phone too often. Still saw Ryan’s name pop up in my head when it shouldn’t. Still thought about campus without meaning to. And worse… I thought about Ethan. Not in a clear way. Not in a way I could explain. Just random moments. The lake. The coffee cup he handed me. The way he said my name when he left. It annoyed me that I was thinking about it at all. Because it didn’t mean anything. It shouldn’t mean a
- Writer
