Teenage Feelings

For the first time in what felt like years, Anim woke up without the usual weight pressing on her chest. The morning sun streamed through her window, casting a golden glow on her desk—the same desk where she had once written words she was too afraid to say out loud. But now, everything felt different. Lighter.

Her parents had read the letter. They had listened. And though things weren't perfect, something had shifted. She could see it in the way her mother smiled at her with warmth instead of urgency, in the way her father's voice carried patience instead of expectation. Even her little brother had noticed. "You look happier," he had said last night. And for once, she didn't have to force a smile—because it was true.

As she stepped out into the fresh morning air, her phone buzzed.Ayera

Ayera: Lake today?

Anim grinned, typing back quickly. Always.

She walked to their usual spot by the lake, the same place where she had once confessed her exhaustion, her fears, her helplessness. But today, she wasn't carrying those feelings with her. Today, she was just Anim. A girl who deserved to laugh, to breathe, to live.

"There she is," Ayera said, smiling as Anim sat beside her. "You look... free."

Anim took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill her lungs. "I think I am."

For the first time, she didn't feel like she was running against time. She wasn't just surviving anymore.

She was finally living.