The Bravest Question We Almost Never Ask

It slipped out of her mouth, and she swept it away so fast, you’d think it never happened.

But I saw it.
I felt it.

There was a tiny shift in her face, a wave that washed over her so quickly it might have been missed if I had blinked.

A wave of resignation.

A look I’ve seen in more women than I can count.
A look I have seen in my own mirrored reflection many times.