He wakes up most mornings surprised he’s still breathing.Not because he wants to die —But because he never planned to live this long. He’s outlived friends.Outrun bad decisions.Outworked every damn voice in his head that told him he wasn’t shit. But now? Now it’s quiet.Too quiet. No more chaos to fight.Just the hum of fluorescent […]
They’re 16.The world says, “Be yourself.”But doesn’t tell you who that is.Social media screams for perfection.Friends are there — but never all the way.Parents are trying — but they don’t get it. So they perform.Smile in the mirror. Cry on the inside.Keep the grades up.Post the right thing.Hide the panic. They’re not “in crisis.”But every […]
He’s been clean for 147 days.No one claps anymore.The texts have stopped.The meetings help, but the silence between them is deafening. He doesn’t trust himself yet.He doesn’t trust quiet.Because quiet is where the cravings live.The guilt. The shame. The what-ifs. He used to numb everything.Now he feels everything — and it’s a war inside his […]
He laughs at the barbecue.He shows up for his coworkers.He remembers birthdays.He gives great advice. He’s everyone’s solid guy.The one who never falls apart.The one who always says, “I’m good.”Even when he’s not. But lately…The jokes feel forced.The drive home feels longer.The silence in his house feels louder.He’s not okay — but he doesn’t want […]
She holds it together all day.Lunches packed. Homework checked. Smiles forced.She juggles two jobs and endless expectations — one from her boss, the rest from a world that never asks if she’s okay. But the house finally quiets.The dishes are done.The door is locked.And for the first time all day… she exhales. Her hands shake […]
It’s been 11 months.The casseroles stopped coming after the second week.The texts thinned out by month three.The house is quiet now — but never silent. Because grief has a sound. It sounds like footsteps that pause at his closet door.It sounds like a shaky breath before opening the fridge.It sounds like someone whispering“I miss you”to […]
He made it back.Boots on American soil.Family waiting.Cheers, hugs, medals. Everyone said: “You’re home now.” But no one saw the war that followed him back. It wasn’t the fireworks.It wasn’t the silence.It was the in-between. The way his hand twitched when he opened a can of soda.The way he scanned every exit in a restaurant.The […]
Every morning, she parks in the same spot. Hands on the wheel. Deep breath.“You can do this.” It’s not the kids — she loves them.It’s the meetings. The emails. The parents who don’t understand.It’s being a punching bag for a broken system — while still expected to smile. At 10:41 a.m., she laughs at a […]
She’s seen three patients flatline this week.One of them was just 9 years old. She smiled through her shift. She made the jokes.And when she got home, she fed her kids and folded laundry like nothing happened. But in the shower, she whispered, “I can’t keep doing this.”She didn’t tell anyone.But she was wearing NOVi. […]
He’s known as “the guy who never breaks.”Every case. Every client. Every hour. All in. But what no one knows is that after his 14-hour days, he sits in his car in the parking garage, in silence… for 20 minutes.His jaw tight. His breath heavy.He doesn’t scroll. Doesn’t call anyone. Just stares. With NOVi around […]