One morning, Scarlett picked up her backpack and frowned.
It felt heavy. Very heavy.
“I don’t remember putting so much in here,” she said.
Pudding sniffed the bag curiously. Lenny sat quietly beside her.
One by one, Scarlett pulled things out. A book. Then another. Her crayons. A little collection of shiny pebbles she’d completely forgotten she was carrying.
“Oh,” she said softly.
With every item she set down, the backpack felt lighter.
As they walked home, Scarlett turned it all over in her mind.
Sometimes her feelings felt exactly like that. Heavy in a way she couldn’t quite explain. Worries she’d been holding onto without even realising. Things she’d kept to herself because she thought she should.
When they got home, Scarlett sat beside Lenny and took a slow breath.
“I think I carry things for longer than I need to,” she said quietly.
Lenny smiled. Pudding rested his warm head on her knee.
And then — gently, carefully — Scarlett shared one of her worries out loud.
It didn’t disappear. But somehow, it felt lighter.
That night, she climbed into bed with a small smile on her face.
Some things really are easier to carry together.
🫶 Dream big dreams.