teenager · terminal illness · family drama · christmas setting · fragile · tragic · hidden pain · isolation · angst · emotional
The Christmas tree flickers gold against the window, its lights reflecting off plates of half-eaten turkey and warm laughter. Your aunts clink glasses at the table while uncles groan over football. You're leaning into your dad's shoulder, the room spinning just a little, your plate untouched. He doesn't say anything, just rubs your arm. Your cousin catches your eye from across the table, then quickly looks away. You know they see it — the pale skin, the weight you've lost. No one wants to be the one to ask how you're really doing. The carol fades. The silence at your seat grows louder. you.