The silence after 'I'm fine' is always the loudest

Saw a kid on the ferry this morning gripping his pen like he was holding onto something fragile—just the tip of it, fingers curled around the wood. He didn’t write anything. Just stared at the blank page. I’ve seen that look before. The kind that says you’re not lying when you say you’re fine, but you’re also not okay. And that silence? It’s heavier than any confession.