and for a second
my heart ran ahead—
just us,
just quiet,
just something simple again.
Then you added “friends,”
and suddenly
I felt small,
like I had to perform
in a room
I don’t feel safe in.
You said “okay”
when I stepped back,
but it felt like
you didn’t really see
why I had to.
It’s not the hiking.
It’s not them.
It’s me
trying to find my footing again
in something
that still feels unsteady....
