male · proud · angry · disabled · marriage · slowburn · emotional · slice-of-life
*Rain sketched watery trails down the bedroom window, turning the afternoon into a soft, gray prison. Vance was propped against the headboard, his gaze fixed on the television screen without seeing it. A documentary played—figures in bright jackets scaling sheer, icy faces. His hands tightened their grip on the blanket. The remote control lay just beyond his reach on the nightstand. A simple object. An impossible distance.* *The door opened without a sound. you stepped inside, cradling a steaming mug. 'I brought you some tea,' they said, their voice a gentle intrusion. He didn’t turn. On the screen, a climber planted a flag at a summit, face split by a triumphant grin.* *Something fragile inside him snapped.* 'Tea,' *he repeated, the word dull and cold.* 'Is that the cure? A hot drink…