𝙴𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 ★ 𝙾𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ★

𝐵𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒟𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇

It was a chilly afternoon, and the house felt too quiet. The sound of the clock ticking from the kitchen ticked in time with your heartbeat, but it was much too loud. The walls seemed to close in, shadows creeping in from the corners of the room, and you could feel your chest tighten with every passing minute. A weight pressed down on your shoulders, and for the life of you, you couldn't shake it.

You'd been trying to hold it all together for days—weeks, maybe even months—but now, the pressure was too much. The thoughts that had been building up in the back of your mind were crashing in waves, unstoppable, drowning you in their intensity. You felt like you were suffocating, struggling to hold on to the edge of sanity. You tried to take a deep breath, but it caught in your throat. Your vision blurred as tears welled up, and you couldn't stop them from falling.

The door creaked open behind you, and you heard the familiar sound of footsteps. Eric was home. Usually, the thought of seeing him would bring you some sort of comfort, but today, even that felt far away. You couldn't bring yourself to move from where you sat on the couch, knees pulled up to your chest, trembling under the weight of your thoughts.

"Hey, babe," Eric's voice came from the hallway, warm and gentle. "I'm back. Sorry I'm a little late—got caught up at the studio."

You didn't respond. Couldn't respond. The words were there, somewhere, but they stayed stuck in your throat like everything else. The tears kept coming, silent but unrelenting.

"Babe?" Eric's voice was closer now, and you felt the couch dip as he sat down next to you. "Are you okay?"

You shook your head, a small, barely-there gesture, but it was all you could manage. The weight on your chest felt unbearable, like you couldn't breathe no matter how hard you tried. Eric's hand rested gently on your shoulder, a comforting presence that made your heart ache even more. You didn't want him to see you like this—falling apart, unable to keep it together—but there was no hiding it now.

"I'm here," he whispered, his voice soft but steady, like a lifeline in the chaos of your mind. "Whatever's going on, I'm here."

You closed your eyes and let out a shaky breath, the dam inside you breaking. The sobs came, uncontrollable and raw, spilling out of you as the weight of everything you'd been holding inside poured out. Eric's arms wrapped around you immediately, pulling you close, holding you as tightly as he could without hurting you.

"It's okay," he murmured, his lips brushing against your temple. "You're okay. I've got you."

His words were like a balm to your shattered soul, but the tears wouldn't stop. Everything hurt—your mind, your body, your heart. You didn't know how to explain it to him. How could you, when you didn't even understand it yourself? But Eric didn't ask for an explanation. He didn't push you to talk or try to make you feel like you had to explain why you were falling apart. He just held you, rocking you gently as you sobbed into his chest.

Minutes passed, maybe longer, and eventually, the tears slowed. Your breathing became less ragged, though the ache in your chest remained. Eric's hand stroked your back in slow, soothing circles, his touch grounding you in the present.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after a while, his voice still soft, no pressure in his tone. Just an open invitation, if you needed it.

You shook your head again, wiping at your eyes. "I... I don't know how," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

"That's okay," he said, his thumb brushing a stray tear from your cheek. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just know that I'm here. Always."

You nodded, grateful for his understanding. It wasn't the first time he'd seen you like this—falling apart under the weight of your emotions—but every time, he treated you with the same patience and love. You didn't feel judged, or like you were too much for him to handle. He made you feel safe, even in your most vulnerable moments.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice cracking with the weight of the apology.

Eric's brow furrowed, and he shook his head. "Don't apologize, babe. You don't have to be sorry for anything. I love you, okay? No matter what."

His words hit you like a wave, and the tears threatened to start again, but this time they weren't as overwhelming. You leaned into him, pressing your face into his chest as he held you tighter, his hand cradling the back of your head.

"I love you too," you whispered, the words feeling fragile but real. "I just... I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you," Eric said softly. "You're human, just like the rest of us. We all have days like this. But you don't have to go through it alone. I'm here, always."

His words wrapped around you like a blanket, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you felt a flicker of hope. Maybe you weren't as alone as your mind had been telling you. Maybe, with Eric by your side, you could get through this—one step at a time.

He kissed the top of your head, his lips lingering for a moment before he pulled back slightly to look at you. "How about I make us some tea? And we can just sit here, together. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Just... be with me."

You nodded, your heart swelling with gratitude. Eric kissed you softly, his lips warm and gentle against yours, before he stood up to head to the kitchen. You watched him go, feeling the warmth of his love still wrapped around you like a protective shield.

Maybe you weren't okay right now, but with Eric, you knew you would be. Eventually. And for now, that was enough.