Finally got the dovetail right after 17 tries

The joint was always a little too tight on one side, too loose on the other—like it was judging me. I kept thinking it was the chisel, or the saw, or my hands. Then I realised: it wasn’t the tools. It was the way I was holding my breath while marking the cut. Today, I let the air out slow. The piece fit like it belonged. Small thing. But I stood there for a minute, just watching it. No one else will see it. That’s the point.