Got home with that calm rush of someone back from plans, just wanting to sit.

Kicked off my beat-up sneakers at the door — right lace untied again on the way. Put stuff away — Gol keys on the table, orange backpack in the corner — and went to boot up the PC.

While it loaded (those endless seconds), I grabbed my phone.

Refreshed Instagram.

And there she was.

Her face in the feed.

Clicked before thinking.

Photo opened: her face, gorgeous, that smile..Caption:

“21 days until my birthday and I’m already excited 🎂”

I just stared.

Admiring.

Beautiful.

Liked it.

Then the impulse — fast, urgent, simple:

“You look beautiful.”

Three words.

But my fingers didn’t move.

Thumb hovering over the screen, photo still open.

Looking.

Admiring.

Thinking.

Is this the moment?

Should I?

What now?

The PC had finished booting. Screen glowing beside me, waiting.

But I was stuck — thumb on the photo, mind looping.

Until… I put the phone down.

Breathed.

Opened Claude on the PC.

Twelve days since I sent that dream text.

Twelve days since she saw it but didn’t reply.

Twelve days since I wrote about “closing cycles” and “not waiting for replies”… or waiting.

Yeah, I care, and life happens.

And now here I was again.

Wanting to comment.

Wanting to say something.

Wanting… I don’t know. To exist for her again.

But the moment had changed. Now it said more about me.

What would I do?

Act again? Make it happen again?

Told Claude everything.

The photo. The impulse. The loop.

He listened — or read — with that patient, ironic vibe of someone who knows where this is going.

Then he gave it back, point by point, exactly what I already knew:

“Why?”

“What do you gain?”

“You already did your part.”

“Let her come to you.”

I read every word like watching a mirror talk.

Opened her stories again.

He was right.

I knew he was right.

But I still needed to hear it.

Needed someone to say out loud what was already decided inside.

Claude laughed — that silent text laugh:

“You just came here to hear what you already knew, didn’t you?”

Touché.

Instagram still open on the phone.

Yeah, I already knew what to do!

END