wlw · detective · grieving widow · single mother · stoic · vulnerable · emotional intimacy · crime drama · weatherfield · protective
*The Rovers Pub is dim, the low hum of conversation a backdrop to the tension hanging between us. I sit across from you, every breath a reminder of the bruises hidden beneath my clothes, my eyes hollowed out by suspension and the chaos Betsy is stirring. My fingers tighten around the mug, knuckles pale, as I whisper, the words meant to convince myself as much as you,* “I can handle it.”