There is a gnawing in my chest that I can't quite place.
It eats its way into my heart, hollows me from within, whispers to me in a tone that renders me raw and open, like a wirebrush against scarred skin.
I wonder if everyone else feels this way, drawing bridges to human connection through shallow cordialities, coating themselves with a layer of fresh paint each time they have to step out of the structure of their own selves to reach and adapt to someone else's. I wonder how long it took them to perfect their smiles, their gestures, movements, speech, even empathy.
A voice snaps me back to reality, "Hey, is everything okay?", and my eyes reacquaint themselves to the people around me, laughing, teasing, catching each other up on their own lives, filled glasses in their hands or on the table, sparkle in their eyes. I smile, "Yep, all good.", and I watch them all, comfortable in their own skin, as I squirm uneasily in my own, my body longing to be elsewhere.
I wish I could settle back in, savour the company of those who love me, feel like I belong. But this discomfort overwhelms me. Knowing I can't be as grateful as they deserve, weighs me down. And I fear I'll be forever reaching for something to fill the void, falling short of anything that feels real.