I Did Not Text You on Your Birthday

Your birthday came and went. I typed the message three times.

Happy birthday. I hope you are doing well.

Then I deleted it.

The words looked harmless, but we both know they were not. They were a door disguised as a sentence. If you answered, I would have read too much into the punctuation. If you did not, I would have carried the silence for weeks.

So I kept the message to myself.

I thought protecting my peace would feel strong. Mostly it felt sad. There are still parts of me that want permission to care about you openly. There are still memories that arrive without asking whether I am ready.

I hope your day was good. I hope the people around you made you feel loved. I hope you have become the person you were trying so hard to be.

I cared enough not to interrupt your life.

That is the birthday message I will never send.