The Layover

by Lacie Waldon

It’s so strange how sometimes a conversation can make you feel lonelier than silence ever did.

All my life, I’ve made myself smaller around the people I love. Somehow I even managed to stop growing at a mere five feet. Tiny enough to be portable. Quiet enough to blend into the furniture. Agreeable. Easy. Whatever it takes to keep them from leaving me behind. Anything to keep them from wondering why I’m still there.