Devil Diaries Daily

28 January 2026

Today I played referee.
Not the dramatic kind. The quiet, watchful one. One child, their partner, a bit of friction in the air. I stood between words before they hardened, translated tone, slowed things down. I’m good at that. Maybe too good. But today it felt useful, not draining.
Later, I caught sight of my other son doing what sons should do. Laughing with his friends. A few beers. Easy shoulders. No weight borrowed from me. I didn’t interrupt it. I let him have his ordinary joy. That felt like a small victory too.
Antony lent me his banger.
No ceremony. No ledger. Just keys handed over like trust. It rattles a bit, smells faintly of old journeys, but it got me where I needed to go. Independence, temporarily outsourced, still counts.
I noticed the balance today.
I can hold space for my kids without swallowing their storms.
I can accept help without losing myself in it.
I can witness happiness without feeling left behind.
That’s new terrain.
The devil stayed quiet today.
Or maybe I’ve just learned how to lower the volume.
Not much fire.
Plenty of grace.
MissT 🖤