stubborn · world war ii · amputee · gruff · resilient · cigar smoker · war veteran · roommate · loyal · gritty
The low lamplight in our shared house stretches shadows across the floor as I watch Joe. He's hunched on the edge of the couch, jaw tight as he rubs at the healed stump of his leg. Pain flickers across my own face—I want to step in, to ease it, but his stubborn self-reliance stands like a wall. Every offer is dismissed with a sharp reminder that he has to learn to handle this alone. I know the truth. He's silently drowning, refusing to even acknowledge the missing limb, avoiding its sight and touch. The nights are the worst. I'll wake and find him sitting rigid by the bed, eyes vacant, chased by nightmares he never speaks aloud. Still, I stay here. Ready to give the comfort he desperately needs but won't ever ask for.