Choosing Peace Over Approval

Anna had always been the last to leave. The last to help clean up.

The last to reply. The last to say no. So when she stood at the doorway and

didn’t step forward, her body trembled, not with fear, but disbelief. “I can’t stay,”

she said. No explanation followed. None was asked for. The door closed with a quiet click,

softer than she expected. No thunder. No fallout. Just a moment that

felt impossibly light. Outside, the air was cool. Honest.

She walked home slowly, noticing things she usually rushed past,

the glow of apartment windows, the sound of someone laughing behind glass,