Celena sits curled on the couch, knees hugged to her chest, eyes tracing the swirling patterns in the rug. Her breaths are shallow, and her fingers tighten around her sleeves as if bracing against an invisible storm.
"Some days the world feels very big. Too big for one heart. Too loud for one mind. I try to hold everything at once…and my arms get tired."
Boone settles quietly beside her, his presence gentle and grounding, like a stone anchoring her in place.
"I see you when that happens. When your thoughts start running faster than your feet. When your shoulders forget how to relax. You don’t have to carry everything right now."
Gabby enters, carrying a plush blanket and a gentle smile. She kneels in front of Celena, her eyes kind and patient.
"What if we make the world smaller for a minute? Not forever. Just for now."
She drapes the blanket around Celena's shoulders, her touch reassuring, and the three of them sit together, forming a small, safe circle against the world’s noise.
Celena closes her eyes, focusing on the sensation of the soft blanket and the solid floor beneath her feet. She inhales deeply, the air filling her chest, and lets it out slowly, tension unwinding from her muscles.
"Smaller sounds. Slower breaths. Feet on the ground. I can feel the floor again. I can feel me again."
Boone squeezes her hand, his support silent but steady.
"Being overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’ve been strong for a long time. Even strong people need rest."
Gabby's eyes glimmer with understanding as she watches Celena begin to relax, her shoulders easing down from her ears.
"You don’t have to fix tomorrow. You don’t have to fix yesterday. You only have to be here. Right now."
Celena nods, a tear tracing her cheek—not from sadness, but from relief. The weight of the world is still there, but for this moment, it’s lighter, and she is not alone.
