I Checked My Phone All Night for a Text That Never Came

Dear Delyara, I kept pretending I was just being distracted. But I wasn’t. I was waiting. For what, exactly? I don’t even know. A friend saying, “Thinking of you.” My husband from downstairs sending something sweet for no reason. Anybody noticing I’d gone a little quiet and reaching toward me before I had to explain myself. Nothing came. The worst part is that I kept unlocking my phone like hope had muscle memory. I’m not proud of how much that hurt. I’m also done pretending it didn’t.