The wind at the Costa del Sol blows cold through me, a chill that settles deep. Sleep-sand crusts my smile. Freedom meets insomnia. A warm stranger sits beside me, brushing against the numbness in my bones. The nights echo, dry and distant. “I’m sure you’ll be alright,” he says. I nod, a moment too long.

Boiling alcohol to thaw the emptiness. Red lipstick doesn’t lie. The sky reels backward, frantic — midnight, stars falling down on me. I may not be happy yet, but I’m close enough to hum my favorite song on an empty beach again. Home melts away like candle wax.