
The Nickname I Gave Myself
Two coworkers used the nickname I picked for our team calendar, like a joke, out on the patio. I went back in and got louder.

Real stories. Quiet confessions.
Honest stories about love, distance, family and the things people keep to themselves. Read them here, or tell one of your own — you can stay anonymous.
Start somewhere
Six ways in. Pick the one that matches tonight — you can always change your mind.
Lately
The newest arrivals, still warm.

Two coworkers used the nickname I picked for our team calendar, like a joke, out on the patio. I went back in and got louder.
The dinner box he never canceled still ships a recipe for two. I split it onto two plates and eat off both.
After the last walkthrough of mom's house, one sticky-note furniture claim goes to my brother in the group chat, and I don't remember choosing to send it.
A nightly goodnight streak feels like proof we're still solid, until a settings toggle shows nine of my nights weren't really mine.
A diner security camera keeps swinging toward our booth every time my friend laughs loudest. I noticed every turn and missed the one time she wasn't joking.
My father keeps thanking me by my dead mother's name, and I've stopped correcting him. I'm not sure anymore if that's kindness or something I want too.
We're both still on the curb after the wedding, waiting on cabs that already came twice. Neither of us says the thing.
What others read
The stories people keep coming back to.
The scanner in my hand counts every second I'm not picking. Tonight I stood in the dead spot between two aisles just to watch the number climb.
I missed the last bus, so I'm walking the forty minutes home. Every lit window flickers the same blue, and somewhere I started matching my steps to it.
I call your old number sometimes. Not to reach anyone, just for the second of quiet before the voicemail.