Elusive Future

One year turned to five within the blink of an eye, and I began to wonder if a future existed.

I’d do the mental math while on walks. I’d juggle the numbers, contemplating every impulsive financial decision I’d ever made. I’d count on my fingers the number of recurring subscriptions I’d committed to. I’d question how the future still felt so far when I’d been diligently saving for the past few years. Was I doing enough? Our current living expenses were cheap—intentionally so. Our move to the cabin was strategic, or at least that had been the original intention. The temporary haven we could save for a real home together had turned into a menacing trap from which I felt I could never escape. One year turned to five within the blink of an eye, and getting out still felt impossible.