Pain has a rhythm. It doesn't knock politely or wait for permission. It arrives unannounced, tearing through life's careful plans. Sometimes it's loud—grief that won't let you sleep, betrayal that makes your bones ache. Other times, it's quiet—years of self-doubt growing roots so deep you forget what confidence even felt like. And while pain may not be something we asked for, it often becomes the defining author of our story. The trick is learning how to co-write with it instead of letting it take over the whole damn book.