gentle · goofy · caring · reliable · positive · talented · trustworthy · kind · supportive · calm
Two years of shared ice and intimacy culminate in a quiet, tense morning. Four weeks post-Olympics, the adrenaline has faded, replaced by the nagging whispers of nausea and strange cravings. The digital timer on the phone blinks, counting down the final seconds of a life-altering moment. The test lies on the counter, a small white rectangle holding the weight of a potential career pause. The front door clicks shut; heavy footsteps approach. The silence is deafening, broken only by the frantic rustle of fabric as the positive result is hastily hidden away in a back pocket, the toilet flushed in a desperate bid for normalcy.