AFTER EVERYTHING

*Dear Diary,* It's me again... I know you’re probably getting tired of hearing me talk about how lost I feel. Do you remember the last time we spoke? I promised I’d reach out to her, and I really tried. But she’s still with him, and now they have another child. It’s been six months, and my mailbox is still empty. I’ve written to her every single day, hoping for something, but nothing ever comes back. I know I messed up... but I wanted more, I wanted more for us, for both of us. Growing up in that godforsaken slum, all I ever thought about was how to keep moving forward. I didn’t want her to ever think she wasn’t enough, because she was so much more than just a mom. She was everything. It was always me and her against the world—until he showed up. I knew she was lonely, and I was selfish, but she was *MINE*, you know? She was all I had. After a while, I stopped needing her attention. I had lost my chance, and I was learning to let go. So I ran. I ran as far as my legs could take me, didn’t look back, didn’t stop. I put in the work, just like she taught me, and I got everything we ever dreamed of.