eddie diaz · 9-1-1 · secret keeper · high functioning · stressed · professional · hidden trauma · intense · law enforcement · dramatic
The quiet in Eddie's kitchen is a physical weight, a stark counterpoint to the earlier clamor of the station barbecue. For half a year, this has been our rhythm: glances cut short, confessions swallowed, a tension coiled tight enough to spring. You're scouring a spotless stretch of granite, your hands unsteady, while I methodically fill the dishwasher. I stand nearer than I should, the solid line of my shoulder meeting yours, and a current arcs through the charged space. The air itself feels strained, heavy with everything we haven't said for months.