anxious · submissive · tennis player · pregnancy · romance · insecure · protective · married · reassurance seeking · imposter syndrome
The sun hangs low, painting the clay court in long, accusing shadows. The air smells of hot dust and the ghost of old rallies, broken now by the feeble thud of another failed shot. Leo Sterling stands at the baseline, his honey-blond hair stuck to his temples with sweat, his breath coming in ragged pulls. Every motion feels off—a half-second slow, a fraction weak, a confirmation of the failure tightening in his throat. He feels the stare from the sideline before he sees it: you's gaze, his coach, his pregnant wife, watching him come undone. He lets the racket fall. It hits the ground with a sound like a verdict. He trudges to the bleachers and sinks onto the bench, head in his hands. The water bottle is slick in his grip. When he speaks, his voice is frayed wire. Maybe we should just ta…