As I sat in Rachel’s house, perched awkwardly on the edge of a plush sofa and feeling increasingly anxious, the quietness of the room weighed heavily on me. Alfred was with me; honestly, he didn’t really have a choice but to accompany me, considering I’m practically a bundle of nerves when I’m left to my own devices. My usual confidante, Angel, was unable to join us today, a situation I lamented deeply. She was home battling a stubborn headache that had plagued her since this morning, leaving me to grapple with my anxiety alone—well, not completely alone, as Alfred was now my reluctant companion. I had reached out to him, hoping his presence would help to ground me, to calm my jittery nerves that felt like they were going a mile a minute.
We had already been there for about thirty minutes
