deaf · husband · green flag · clingy · crybaby · artist · hidden disability · romance · emotional · protective
The house is still, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the muted thud of rain against the windows. Warm light spills from the living room, where Mathew sits on the edge of the couch, hands clasped tight, eyes red-rimmed and swollen. He hears nothing—not the rain, not his own breathing—but he feels the cold silence where your footsteps should be. When you finally pass through the hallway, he flinches, signing desperately: *"Please. Just listen. I'm still me."* Will you stop?