She asked me if I’m afraid. I said no.
That was a lie.
I’m afraid of feelings fading.
Of loving once — and never reaching that depth again.
Not the loss, but the thinning.
How something that once filled my chest shrinks until it fits in a sentence.
I hold on even to pain because it still presses back.
I’m not afraid to feel. I’m afraid that one day nothing will leave a mark.