For years, I thought my reactions were evidence that something was wrong with my personality. I apologized too quickly, scanned rooms for changes in peopleβsβ¦
Some of my hardest days did not look dramatic from the outside. I answered messages with a heart emoji, showed up where I was expected, and made coffee whileβ¦
Sexual assault recovery rarely follows the clean sequence people imagine. There may be shock, anger, numbness, grief, relief, confusion, and long stretchesβ¦
For a long time, my body felt like a problem I was expected to solve. I treated every reflection, photograph, and item of clothing as evidence in a caseβ¦
For years, anxiety made me feel like an inconvenience before I had even said anything. I apologized for needing a quieter room, extra time, reassurance, or aβ¦
For a long time, I treated my bisexuality like a question I was supposed to answer correctly. I searched for certainty in old crushes, current relationships,β¦
For a long time, coffee was simply something I drank while rushing toward the next obligation. I made it half-awake, carried it from room to room, and oftenβ¦