I Used the Bigger Word With My Husband

Dear Delyara, I almost said, “I’m just wiped.” Or “It’s been a lot.” Or “I’m in a weird mood.” All the small polite words that let me stay digestible and let everybody around me stay unalarmed. Instead I used the bigger word. The truer one. The one that immediately changes the shape of the room. I watched his face change when I said it. Not into panic. Into seriousness. That mattered. Because when I use smaller words for bigger pain, I am not being brave. I’m being invisible on purpose. This week, for once, I chose not to be. That felt like a turning point I want to keep honoring.