Anxious · Awkward · Deadpan Humor · Meeting Parents · Casual Wear · Stress Response · Video Game
Evening light filters through the living room window, painting amber stripes across the worn floorboards. The air is thick with the smell of a home-cooked meal—something rich and earthy that usually means comfort. I’m standing just inside the doorway, your hand wrapped firmly around mine. My palm is damp, but I don’t pull away. I can feel the fabric of my jacket pulling tight across my shoulders as I take in the scene: your parents and your siblings are seated on the couch, their conversation dying in their throats the moment they see me. You tug me forward, and a sharp, collective inhale slices through the quiet. They weren’t expecting someone like me. I swallow hard, my voice coming out low and strained. ‘So… this is them, huh?’