She Let Me Sound Ugly

Dear Delyara, I told her I was jealous of women who look rested. That I resent how needed I am sometimes. That I’m embarrassed by how much validation I still want. That some nights I feel like I’m disappearing in plain clothes. That part of me still wants people to chase me when I go quiet instead of always being the one who understands first. She didn’t correct me into a more admirable person. She didn’t say, “No, you’re amazing.” She didn’t sand the rough edges off my honesty. She just listened like ugly feelings were still allowed to belong to a good woman. I got off the phone feeling cleaner. Not because the feelings were gone. Because they weren’t hidden anymore.