“You won’t fall asleep.”
“How do you know?”
“Because your brain doesn’t seem capable of being quiet for that long.”
Her eyes snapped open. “Rude.”
“Accurate.”
She narrowed her gaze at me, but after a second, she sighed and closed her eyes again.
“Okay,” I said, softer this time. “Try this. When a thought comes up — because it will — don’t fight it. Just imagine placing it on a log floating down a river.”
Her brow furrowed.
“Just… picture it,” I went on. “The thought shows up, you set it down on the log, and you let it drift away. You don’t chase it. You don’t hold onto it. You just… let it go.”
She was quiet for a beat.
“Okay,” she said finally, her voice less sharp. “I can do logs.”
“Good,” I murmured. “Now breathe.”
Inhale.
Exhale.
This time, the silence settled deeper.
Her breaths evened out, syncing slowly with mine. The restless energy she’d carried into the room softened, quieting in increments I could almost feel without touching her.
I let my eyes close again, grounding myself in the rhythm of it.
Inhale.
Exhale.
A thought surfaced — the game, the catch I’d missed, the weight of it pressing in.
I placed it on a log and let it drift.
Another thought came right on its heels. This time, it was about Emily sitting in front of me. The way she’d walked in and unraveled every ounce of calm I had.
I dropped it on a log, letting it go.
My body loosened, my mind following, thoughts coming and going without sticking. The game came back in flashes, but the more I brought myself back to my breaths, the less power those intrusive thoughts had. The tension in my chest eased, myshoulders dropping as I sank deeper into the stillness I’d been chasing all morning.
Time blurred.
Minutes stretched and folded in on themselves until they didn’t feel like minutes anymore.
When I finally surfaced again, it was gradual — like rising from deep water.
I drew in a slow breath, then another.
“Okay,” I said gently. “Start to come back. Bring your focus back to your breath. Wiggle your fingers. Your toes.”
I did the same, grounding myself.
