The empty chair

Today, I discovered my best friend had celebrated her birthday without me. I stared at the photograph remembering how I have stayed awake helping her study while was struggling. My chest felt hollow as though something I had relies on had quietly disappeared.

I cried then scrolled through our old messages searching for when I had become so easy to exclude.

Eventually I deleted the message I have typed and made myself dinner. It tasted like nothing. I realised I wasn't just mourning a friendship..I was mourning the person I had been while desperately trying to keep it alive.