The Clear Quartz Earring

It was a graduation gift — one she gave herself. A single earring made of clear quartz, catching tiny sparks of light like stars reflected in water.
She never wore the pair. Just the one.
She wore it when moving cities alone, during silent evenings, through heartbreak and hope. Whenever she touched it, something inside her settled — like a quiet promise: I’m still here. I’m still okay.
One night, she heard her best friend sobbing on the phone. She couldn’t find the words, so she took the earring off, tucked it in a cloth pouch, and mailed it.
Days later, a message came:
“It reminded me you’ve never really left.”
She smiled. The earring had never really left her, either.