I Left the Kitchen Light On Because the Dark Felt Too Final Too Soon

Dear Delyara, Usually turning off the kitchen light is relief. Tonight it felt like surrender. The dishes were done enough, the counters mostly clear, the lunch things half-ready, the fruit bowl full, the tea towel changed. By ordinary standards, the room was in reasonable shape. Still, I couldn’t quite bring myself to switch the light off straight away. Maybe because the day had moved too quickly. Maybe because turning the light off meant admitting it was over while my body was still carrying too much of it. Maybe because some nights the kitchen still feels like the emotional centre of the house long after everyone else has gone to their rooms. I stood there for an extra minute, looking at the room as if it might explain why I was sadder than the day had objectively earned. It didn’t. I switched the light off anyway.