0508
When my chest tightens
and my breath comes out in short, aching bursts,
I know — she’s back.
Han is here.
She moves in shadows,
in heavy footsteps,
somber and exhausted.
I don’t fight her anymore.
I’m too old for that.
Instead,
I stay.
I sit with her,
gently laying out my sadness on the table.
She lingers at the edge, uncertain.
I wait.
Eventually, she joins me.
I pour tea.
She takes it,
with her pale, trembling hands.
The air between us is cold
— stiff with everything left unsaid.
But still,
I stay.
