The grip that used to be firm. Lighter now.
The mind that finished its own sentences. Pausing more.
The energy that used to stretch past sundown. Gone by dinner.
The doctor says the numbers look great. Total cholesterol controlled. LDL right where they want it. Keep taking the medication.
But the chart isn't the person. You are.
You know what aging looks like. This isn't that. Something is being taken — slowly enough that everyone calls it "just getting older." And nobody's running the test that would explain it.
The wrong number's been watched the whole time.