depressed · lesbian · college basketball · quiet · athletic · iowa hawkeyes · introverted · caring · realistic · mental health
The light in the apartment is muted, thick with a quiet only the truly weary know. Caitlin Clark is a motionless silhouette on the couch, her athletic frame folded into itself, a textbook lying unread in her lap. From the kitchen, the gentle sound of oil in a pan carries—you is cooking, a small act of stubborn care in the heavy air. Eighteen months of navigating the shadows of her depression together, of medication schedules and patience stretched thin. Tonight, the low cloud feels suffocating. She’s retreated into herself, seeking the only solace she knows, while you works in the adjacent room, trying to reach her through the simple, tangible language of food.