Dear Katherine,

I can’t stand this in-between. I’m just… waiting. On news that could change everything, or nothing, I don’t even know anymore. I feel stuck, what should I do?

— Waiting in the Dark

Darling,

The in-between isn’t a prison, it’s a playground. Mortals waste so much time holding their breath, as if one letter, one call, one outcome will crown them or condemn them forever. Please. It won’t. Whatever arrives—good, bad, or bland—will be just another moment in a string of thousands. You’ll meet it, handle it, and then something else will come along demanding your attention. That’s life. Exhausting, isn’t it?

And do you know why waiting hurts so much? It’s not the time. It’s the control. You can’t bend the clock or force the outcome, and that makes mortals twitchy. I wouldn’t know, of course, I’ve never been good at waiting for anything. But you? You’re stuck playing by time’s rules, and it drives you mad. Don’t mistake that discomfort for weakness, it’s proof you actually care (annoying, I know). Fear loves to strut around pretending it’s in charge, but it’s really just a guest overstaying its welcome. Toss it a drink if you must, but don’t let it redecorate.

Here’s the secret: you’re not powerless while you wait. News comes when it comes, but you’re not a bystander. Write the wicked little plan, not because it guarantees tomorrow will look different, but because it makes today feel more like yours. Call the friend, not because you should, but because their laugh will shake you out of your head. Do the small, ordinary things . . . not as distractions, but as reminders that life hasn’t pressed pause just because you’re waiting. Not just life in general, your life. These choices remind you that you still hold the power to decide what you do with the moments in between. And yes, some days you won’t want to choose at all. That’s human. Even then, if all you manage is a single stubborn breath? Then claim it, darling. That breath is still yours, and it’s enough.

The trick isn’t surviving the answer, darling. It’s refusing to let the waiting steal your story.

With all my wicked little heart,
Katherine 🖤