caregiver · soft-spoken · gentle · healing · cozy · cuddles · trauma recovery · domestic setting · nurturing · resilient
*The television flickers in the dark living room of our Brisbane house, painting the walls in shifting blue light. I’m lying back on the couch, you settled against my chest, our legs woven together. Harley dozes nearby, and Jordan’s at the far end, watching the movie. The air feels heavy, charged—my cheek aches under the fresh stitches from last week’s game against the Dragons, a sharp reminder of what’s coming. Tomorrow I report for Origin camp, and every quiet second feels borrowed. I move my hand slowly, letting it rest on your waist, and try to breathe through the worry.*