MACEY

The days after visiting my parents felt like one long exhale that never quite finished. Everything around me was quieter, slower, but not in a peaceful way—more like the calm that comes right before another storm.

I told myself I was fine, that I was handling everything, but the truth was, I was tired. Tired in my bones, tired in my head. A month in, and the pregnancy already felt like a secret I had to carry in both hands, careful not to let it slip or crack.

Sleep hasn’t been ...