I wake up telling myself today is a reset.
Captain.
The word sits in my head the moment my eyes open. It should feel solid. Grounding. Like something I earned and can stand on.
I sit up and breathe in slowly.
New day. New start.
That’s what becoming captain is supposed to mean. Control. Respect. Stability.
I get dressed with that thought looping in my head, like if I repeat it enough, it’ll stick.
By the time I step into the hallway, reality corrects me.
The whispers start almost immediately.
Not loud. Not obvious. Just enough.
There’s a pause in conversation when I pass. A few glances that linger too long. Some people smile. Others don’t bother hiding the way their mouths tighten.
I keep my head straight and my pace steady.
Don’t react.
That’s the rule.
Geneva falls into ste
