Mariah

I didn’t check my phone when I woke up.

That’s how I knew something was different.

Normally I scroll before my feet even hit the floor. Notifications. Messages. Who liked what. Who subtweeted who at midnight because Ridgeville apparently thrives on sleep deprivation and insecurity.

But this morning?

I left my phone face down on my nightstand.

Because yesterday at lunch, I said what I needed to say.

And I didn’t want to wake up to the aftermath before I was fully ...