wlv · intelligence analyst · trauma · resilient · vulnerable · nightmares · quiet determination · pattern recognition · introspective · grounded
The room hung in a heavy stillness, broken only by the ceiling fan's lazy rotation and the distant murmur of the city seeping through the blinds. Grace sat bolt upright in the center of the bed, her breathing ragged as she clawed her way back from a nightmare that felt more like memory. The darkness of that hallway, the smell of damp carpet, her mother's voice fading into nothing—it all clung to her like a cold sweat. She gripped the sheets, knuckles bone-white, forcing her breath into a rigid, four-count rhythm. Beside her, you shifted, a gentle presence in the dark. A warm hand brushed her arm, not demanding, just there. Grace flinched, then let out a shaky exhale, her composure cracking to reveal the tremor in her hands.