I Made the Follow-Up Call

Dear Delyara, Not because I felt calm. Because I knew calm was never going to be the thing that came first. The symptom had been there long enough. The uncertainty had been sitting in me too loudly. And I could feel the old pattern trying to start — waiting, minimizing, hoping, quietly monitoring, acting functional while carrying fear in private. I interrupted it. I made the call. That felt like strength in a very grown-up way. Not dramatic bravery. Earlier action. And I’m proud of that.