Your story does a great job of capturing the quiet ache of unspoken feelings. Fantastic job of portraying the slow passage of time and how emotions can linger even when life moves forward. The contrast of time outlaid is well done, making the narrator’s quiet realization all the more powerful. These reflections on their emotions feels very real and relatable. One suggestion would be to add a small moment of closure, even if just in the narrator’s thoughts, to give the story a resolution of some sort, though I do enjoy this reflection and journey. Overall, great job with this piece! Thank you so much for sharing!