“There are moments when joy feels like a betrayal. You’re laughing with someone new, and suddenly you remember who’s no longer here to laugh with you. You're holding a warm cup of tea on a quiet morning, and the peace makes your chest tighten—not from stress, but from the ache of how rare this type of stillness has become. Joy catches us off guard like that. It arrives softly into our orbit—and somehow, it can also break our hearts wide open on its descent.”

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