Three. Saying no to the thing you wanted

The invitation comes. You feel a small lift, and then the arithmetic starts. It is far. You are tired. You will not know anyone. They are only being kind.

You say no. Immediate relief, and the evening is your own again.

The relief is real, which is exactly why it repeats. And the cost is not visible tonight. It arrives months later, as fewer invitations, and by then it looks like proof rather than consequence.