I stood outside the exam room pretending to check my phone

Dear Delyara, I’m studying again at an age when most people assume you’re meant to be established, not starting over. Everyone around me looked younger, lighter, less crowded by real life. I sat outside the room with my phone in my hand like I was busy, but really I was trying to keep my fear from becoming visible. I went in. I wrote the exam. But those ten minutes outside the door stayed with me all day.