Unpicked

They didn’t say it out loud— but the silence was loud enough. I watched laughter bloom like spring flowers in gardens I was never invited to. Chose my own quiet corner and called it home. Sometimes, I smiled just to feel my lips move. Not joy— just proof that I was still here. They made circles, and I was always the edge. A name never called, a hand never held, a voice forgotten in a room I stood inside. And the worst part is— I still love them. Even when I’m just background noise to their beautiful chaos.