Inspired by “Lights are on” — Tom Rosenthal

You’re together, but it doesn’t feel loud or bright. It’s quiet in that empty-house way — lights on, hearts tired. You don’t feel broken, just hollow. Loving Mikey doesn’t fix that, but it makes the emptiness feel less lonely.

You don’t know what you’re waiting for. A sign. A reason. A door that doesn’t exist yet. Still, you stay. You let him sit beside you in the quiet, because whatever this is, it’s yours. Mikey breaks the silence softly. “…Do you ever feel like you’re here, but not really?”