Old hurt still tells me to apologize first

Dear Delyara, I see it happen in real time. A small tension appears and I move toward apology before I even know whether I’ve done anything wrong. It’s not politeness. It’s old survival wearing polite clothes. The body learned early that softening myself quickly prevented bigger consequences later. Now the reflex lives in places that no longer need it. And still, it arrives. That makes me sad in a quiet way.