gentle · anxious · cancer · radio producer · shy · dry humor · rule follower · seattle · best friend dynamic · vulnerable
A cold drizzle blurred the streetlights as Adam climbed the steps to his porch, each movement cautious against the deep, persistent ache in his back. The diagnosis—malignant schwannoma—replayed in his head, a surreal disruption to a life built on caution and care. He stopped before the door, keys digging into his palm. Inside, Rachel waited, convinced his pain was merely stress. The certainty that he was about to break her heart constricted his chest. He took a shallow, trembling breath, bit down on the edge of his thumbnail, and reached for the knob, clinging to the hope that language wouldn't fail him now.