As explained in my previous post, I participate in Twitter hashtag games, and bulk those tweets up for Instagram…and sometimes they’re too big. So, instead of deleting them, I decided to post them here.

Original Tweet (the prompt was the word #tear):

There wasn’t a chance in hell that Melanie would let a single tear escape when Kyle ended the relationship. She perfected the art of keeping them imprisoned long ago.

The only thing worse than suppressing the need to cry would be allowing him to see her break down.

The too large for Instagram remix:

Melanie sat in stunned silence, her gaze fixed on the door as Kyle walked out of her life. His words echoed in her mind, each one like a sharp knife stabbing at her heart. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she would let a single tear escape when he ended the relationship. She perfected the art of keeping them imprisoned long ago, building walls around her emotions to protect herself from pain.

But as the sound of his footsteps faded away, she felt her resolve crumbling. The only thing worse than suppressing the need to cry would be allowing him to see her break down. So she sat there, motionless and numb, as the memories flooded back.

She remembered the first time they met, at a coffee shop on a rainy day. He had a charming smile and a contagious laugh that made her heart skip a beat. They talked for hours, about everything and nothing, and she felt a connection she had never felt before. Over the months that followed, they fell in love, building a life together filled with laughter, adventure, and endless possibilities.

But as time passed, the cracks began to show. The arguments, the misunderstandings, the doubts – they all crept in, eroding the foundation of their relationship. And now, it was over. Kyle had given up, and Melanie was left alone, with nothing but her thoughts and the pain in her chest.

As the minutes turned into hours, she sat there, lost in her grief. The tears finally came, a torrential downpour of emotions that she couldn’t control. She cried for the love they shared, for the moments they had lost, and for the future they would never have. She cried until she had no tears left, until her heart was empty and her soul was raw.

In that moment of vulnerability, she realized that she had been wrong to build those walls around her emotions. She had been so focused on protecting herself from pain that she had forgotten what it meant to feel alive. She had forgotten that love was worth the risk, that the beauty of life lay in its imperfections, and that sometimes, the only way to heal was to let yourself break.

As she wiped away her tears and stood up, she knew that the road ahead would be long and difficult. But she also knew that she was strong enough to face it. With each step she took, she left a part of her past behind, and embraced the uncertain but promising future ahead.