Little Miss Humility — "It Was Karen's Idea, Actually"

Lyrics

Conference Room 3B.
The air is always too cold in here.
Tuesday. Ten-fifteen.

The slide is up.
The one with the good numbers.
Q3 hockey stick.
Empty coffee cups stand around the table like little soldiers.
The praise comes back across the polished wood.
"Great work."
"Really moved the needle."
And the light of it, the warmth of it,
it starts to pool right here, on me.

And I could just let it.
Just smile and take it.
But I look across the table.
And I let out a breath.
"Thank you. But it was Karen's idea, actually."

A pen clicks. Someone drops it.
The sound is loud in the quiet.
The hum of the projector seems to dip for a second.
I see Karen, she looks down, then up at me.
A small, surprised smile.
And from the head of the table, Mr. Davies,
just a slow, single nod.
Nobody saw it but me.
The air in the room is different now.

I could have just let it.
Smiled and took it all.
But I looked across the table.
Her face.
And I let out a breath.
"Thank you. But it was Karen's idea, actually."

It's not about the credit.
Not really.
It's just… the shape of the thing.
The idea had a mother.
It didn't start with me.
We all carried it for a while,
but she gave it breath.
And the truth just wanted to be said out loud.
In this cold room. On this Tuesday morning.

The meeting moves on.
Next slide.
Budget projections.
But the warmth,
it's not pooled on me anymore.
It's just... in the room.