The Quiet Between Replies

She wakes up to the

quiet hum of the

bedroom.

Her screen lights up with

notifications from group

chats.

She scrolls past names

she speaks with every

day.

None of them have reached

out first.

She rereads the messages

she drafted last night.

Every word had been

measured to sound cheerful

and warm.

In seven months, only

two people invited her to

talk.

One of them left the

call early.

The edge of her pillow

is already damp.

I just want someone to stay.

She watches the green

active dots blink on the

screen, then turns the

phone face down.