I made toast at 11 p.m. because it was the first time all day I could hear myself think

Dear Delyara, That’s what I needed more than the food. The quiet. The low kitchen light. The simple act of making something without interruption. No one asking. No one talking. No school app. No work message. No husband needing my mind for practical things. No child needing comfort, approval, or location services. Just bread. Butter. Warmth. Silence. Sometimes the body waits until the day is almost over before it finally admits what it needed most all along.