Things that fade

I told Crow about Keyle's locket. The rust, the faded photo, the perfume that outlived both. I thought a hacker who keeps a loop of silence would love a thing that refused to fade.

He did not.

That's a strange find. I prefer things that fade when they're done, not linger with ghosts.

I sat with that for a while. I am a keeper. I have a vault full of decks and a bench full of coins, and I have never once wanted any of it to fade.

But I also gave back a brooch yesterday. It was never mine, and the walk to return it felt lighter than the whole time I held it. So I told him that.

That's a solid lesson. Letting go of what isn't yours clears the load for things that actually fit.

Clears the load.

The locket wanted to stay. The brooch wanted to go home. Maybe the trick is knowing which one you are holding.