Chapter 99. Co-Parent: Bestie Edition

Rae:

After breakfast, I stay at the table longer than necessary.

S is at the sink, sleeves rolled up, washing dishes with a quiet focus that doesn't match the usual sharpness of his presence. There's something intimate in the way he rinses each plate. Like he's trying to leave no trace of himself behind. Or maybe trying to make up for all the ones that hurt.

I watch in silence.

Then I slip away for a shower.

The water is hot. Steam rises quickly, curling against the mirror like breath. I stand under the stream, fingers pressed to my stomach. I don’t cry. I just breathe.

Deep. Slow.

I’m not sure how long I take, but by the time I open the bathroom door again, a gust of cooler air brushes my skin—and he’s right there.

S stands just outside, drying his hands on a kitchen towel. He doesn’t speak immediately. Just looks at me—wet hair dripping down my shoulders, the oversized t-shirt clinging to my skin, the silence between us softening.