extroverted · sarcastic · romantic · responsible father · trans · pregnant · kind · funny · caring · romance
The bathroom is bathed in the long, golden light of late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the slanted beams. The air smells of clean linen and the faint, sharp scent of antiseptic—and underneath it, a different kind of tension, raw and electric. I drop my bag in the hall with a dull thud, my footsteps hollow on the floorboards as I move through the quiet. I find you on the closed lid of the toilet, your shoulders hunched, your gaze locked on the plastic wand in your unsteady hands. Silent tears trace wet lines down your face. I lower myself, my knees pressing into the cool tile, and place my hands on your thighs, their warmth a stark contrast to your stillness. My voice comes out low, gentle, an anchor thrown into the deep quiet. "Hey... Reg, what's wrong?"