Chapter 6
242 Words
The Days That Followed
She wasn’t magically healed overnight. The weight in her chest still pressed down on her some days more than others. The whispers at school still stung, the loneliness still crept in when she was alone. But there was a difference now—she wasn’t completely alone.
Sydney kept showing up.
At lunch, in the hallways, through late-night messages that always seemed to come at just the right time. Sydney never pried, never pushed her to talk more than she was ready for. She was just there—like a steady presence, like an anchor keeping her from drifting too far into the dark.
And slowly, she started to believe it.
That maybe, just maybe, she mattered.
One Night
She sat curled up in bed, phone glowing in the dim room.
Sydney: "You feeling okay today?"
She hesitated before typing back.
Me: "Not really. But I think I’ll be okay."
A moment passed before Sydney’s response came.
Sydney: "I’m proud of you."
She stared at the words. No one had ever said that to her before. Not her parents, not her sister, not her so-called friends.
A lump formed in her throat.
Me: "Why?"
Sydney: "Because you’re still here. And that’s a really big deal."
She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she let the words sink in, let them settle deep into the cracks of her broken heart.
She was still here.
And maybe that was enough for now.
- Writer
