I used to equate distance with absence. But absence is only absence when you’re unsure. This isn’t that.

Tuesday Afternoon Sensory Input

Sight.

Her face appears pixel by pixel, slow-loading clarity from another continent. Sunlight in Senegal catches the edge of her cheekbone, and even through the screen, she glows. The image stutters, lag. Then smooths. Then laughter. The miles dissolve in a smile I’ve memorized.