“You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone”

Mandy Milkovich wasn’t the kind of girl who asked for help. She didn’t cry in front of people. She didn’t show weakness. She didn’t need anyone.

But you knew the truth.

You’d met Mandy through someone you both trusted—an old friend, a family connection, a neighbor—someone who knew how hard she was trying to keep herself together. You didn’t judge her for being tough. You didn’t even flinch when she snapped at you for no reason.

Because you saw what she was hiding.

The First Time You Really Saw Her

It was late at night, and the whole world seemed to be asleep except for the people who didn’t get to rest. You were walking home when you saw her sitting on the steps of a building, her head down, hands shaking slightly.

At first, she didn’t notice you.

Then she did.

Her eyes snapped up, sharp and dangerous like a blade. “Don’t start,” she said.

You didn’t.

You just sat down beside her, quietly.

After a while, she said, “You’re not supposed to be here.”

You replied, “Neither are you.”

And that was the beginning.

The Weight She Carried

Mandy wasn’t struggling because she was weak.

She was struggling because she was strong.

She was angry at herself for everything she couldn’t control. She blamed herself for things that weren’t her fault. She kept pushing people away because she thought she didn’t deserve to be forgiven.

And you… you didn’t let her stay in that place.

You listened. You didn’t try to fix her. You just stayed.

The Moment It Broke

One night, she finally opened up.

She didn’t say it out loud. She didn’t scream it. She didn’t beg for forgiveness.

She just whispered:

“I shouldn’t have let it happen.”

You felt your chest tighten.

“What are you talking about?” you asked softly.

She looked at you like she hated herself for trusting you with it.

“The fight. The mess. The choices I made. The people I hurt.”

You waited.

Then she said the words she’d been holding in her throat for months:

“I’m scared I’m not worth forgiving"