Cardboard Tranquility

She stood in the hallway. Again, her mother said. Less noise. Less you.

She held her breath, just for a second. Somewhere deep, the real version of her kicked the walls. Said no. Said louder. Said anything.

But she’d learned how this goes.

So she rewound the words. Smoothed the truth. Bent her shape to fit the frame. A voice wrapped in wallpaper.

Perfect. Finally. Now don’t mess it up.