I Went Quiet Because I Had Nothing Soft Left

Dear Delyara, I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t punishing anyone. I was just finished in a way that made words feel expensive. So I went quiet. The house kept moving around me. Questions came. Noise came. A normal evening kept happening. And I answered when I had to, but only when I had to. I know from the outside that kind of quiet can look moody. Inside, it feels more like emotional triage. Save what little gentleness is left. Use speech only where necessary. Try not to make the tiredness louder than love.