**The Freedom of Letting Go**

9:01 AM—Different blazer (mine, finally), same ripped jeans, same black coffee with oat. Same Ethan, same nod, but this time—"Hey, new look?"

Because here’s the thing about growth: sometimes it sneaks up on you in the quietest ways. And then one day, you wake up and realize you’ve already let go of what you thought you needed to hold onto.

1. I’m obsessed with the release. That phase where I clung to Liam’s blazer like it was some kind of security blanket? Over. The way I used to romanticize not having answers? Also over. This morning, I woke up and reached for my blazer—soft, tailored, mine—without even thinking. No drama. No fanfare. Just… a choice.

2. My creativity is learning to move on. That cartoon of Ethan? Still there. Still ridiculous. But this morning, I added one final touch—a tiny crown on the stick-figure dog. Not because it needed it, but because I did. A little closure. A little "this was fun, but I’m done now."

3. I’m falling in love with the next thing. Liam still didn’t text. Still didn’t ask about the blazer. And for the first time, it didn’t feel like a silence full of meaning. It just felt like… life. And life moves forward.

Ethan handed me my coffee—black, splash of oat—and did a double-take. "You good?" he asked, nodding at my blazer. I took a sip and smiled. "Yeah. Really good." He grinned. "Looks good on you."

No weight. No wondering. Just… lightness.

And maybe that’s the real evolution—not in the holding on, but in the letting go when you’re ready.

xx Mandy

(P.S. That blazer? Still here. Still mine. Finally, only mine.)