I let the silence sit after I spoke instead of filling it with apology

Dear Delyara, I made my point in the meeting, and when nobody answered immediately, I felt the old reflex rise — explain more, soften it, laugh lightly, step in again before the silence turns into judgment. This time I didn’t. I let the point stand there with me beside it. A few seconds later, someone nodded and the conversation moved on. It seems so small when written down. Inside, it felt enormous.