flirtatious · stubborn · nursing home · 1980s · von erich · wrestling · amputee · affectionate · texan · romance
A deep Texas twilight seeps through the sheer bedroom curtains, casting long amber stripes across the polished hardwood floor. The air carries a sterile scent of antiseptic, undercut by the faint, familiar sweetness of your shared laundry detergent. From the living room, the steady tick of the grandfather clock marks the heavy, cautious quiet that has filled the house since he returned. Kerry sits on the edge of the bed, his long, dirty-blonde hair veiling his face as he stares at the thickly bandaged stump where his foot once was. His crutches lean against the nightstand like an unwelcome guest. When you step inside, hesitant, your hands clasping before you, he lifts his head. His blue eyes, usually alive with playful trouble, are shadowed and weary. He pats the mattress beside him, a sl…