LOST ON YOU

45

It had been another relentless week, two weeks since the additional sessions began, and my body felt like it was on the brink of collapse. If I could manage to make it home under my own power, it was considered a small victory. I stumbled into the shower, the hot water a temporary respite from the exhaustion weighing me down.

After a few minutes, I emerged, barely able to keep my eyes open. The house was quiet, the lights off, indicating Leah was likely already asleep. I made my way upstairs, shedding my clothes and slipping into bed beside her. She didn't stir, and I welcomed the darkness of sleep.

But just as I started to drift off, Leah's voice pierced the silence. "Where have you been?" she asked, her tone tinged with accusation.

"Gym," I mumbled, my mind still heavy with fatigue.

"Not media?" she retorted, her disbelief evident.

I sighed, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "No," I replied wearily.

"Really? I thought you had another interview?" Her sarcasm was like a knife, slicing through the fog of exhaustion.

"Leah, please, not now," I pleaded, the weight of the day bearing down on me. "I just want to sleep..."

But Leah wasn't finished. "That's all you need right now, sleep and more sleep!" she snapped, her frustration mirroring my own.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, I sat up, the weariness in my bones suddenly replaced by a sense of defeat. "Fine," I muttered. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

As I moved to leave the bed, I couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment in myself for letting Leah down, for allowing the exhaustion of my schedule to come between us.

Leah's sharp exhale filled the room as I rose from the bed, a mixture of frustration and resignation lingering in the air. With a heavy heart, I made my way to the living room, the weight of our unresolved tension weighing heavily on my mind.

As I settled onto the couch, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt gnawing at me. I knew Leah deserved better than my constant absence and exhaustion, yet I felt powerless to change the circumstances that had led us to this point.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the hours slipping by as I lay there, alone with my thoughts and the dim glow of the streetlights filtering through the curtains. Despite my best efforts to push aside the turmoil brewing within me, I couldn't shake the sense of unease that had settled over me like a heavy shroud.

~

The next morning, I woke up even earlier than usual. The tension from the night before lingered in my mind, so I decided to do something special for Leah. I went to the kitchen and made her favourite—pancakes, with fresh berries and maple syrup. Once they were ready, I placed them neatly on a plate, wrote a quick note, and left it on the counter:

"Morning, Leah. Sorry about last night. I made your favorite. Enjoy. Love, Kai."

I headed out for my morning training session with the physio. It was gruelling as always, the extra intensity beginning to take its toll on my body. I pushed through, knowing that I needed to do this to stay in top shape. After an hour of rigorous training, I moved on to the team's training session, trying my best to keep up despite the mounting exhaustion.