Her life! GxG! Intersex! (Book 1)

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A small pause passed between them, the kind that didn't feel awkward, just honest.

"...Stay though," Emma added softly.

Abigail didn't hesitate. "I'm not going anywhere."

That was all Emma needed. Her body relaxed more into the couch, her shoulders dropping, the tension she had been holding finally starting to release now that she was home, safe, and not being watched by machines or doctors. Her head tilted slightly toward Abigail without even thinking about it, her breathing beginning to even out, slower now, deeper.

Her hand shifted, moving just a little closer.

Abigail noticed immediately. She always did.

Without making it obvious, she moved her own hand just enough so their fingers brushed, then gently intertwined. No pressure. No urgency. Just contact.

Emma didn't say anything. She just let it happen.

Within minutes, her breathing deepened further, her body sinking more fully into the couch as sleep took over, quiet and unannounced. One second she was there, barely holding onto the conversation—and the next, she was gone, completely out.

Abigail stayed still for a moment longer, watching her. Making sure. Always making sure.

Her thumb moved slowly across the back of Emma's hand, grounding herself in the fact that she was here, breathing, safe. But the second she was sure Emma was fully asleep—really asleep—something in Abigail finally loosened. Not visibly. Not all at once. But enough.

Carefully, she eased her hand away, adjusting the blanket one more time, tucking it slightly closer around Emma's side. She hesitated for a second, then leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.

"I got you," she whispered.

Emma didn't stir.

Abigail stood up slowly, glancing back one more time before walking away. The house stayed quiet behind her.

The bathroom door closed softly.

The second it did, everything hit.

Abigail turned the shower on without thinking, the sound of water filling the space as steam slowly started to rise. She leaned forward, hands braced against the counter for a second, her head dropping as she tried to steady her breathing.

But it wasn't steady.

Not anymore.

The images came back too fast.

Emma going limp in her arms.

Her name—over and over.

The way her heart dropped.

The way she thought she might lose her.

Abigail shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head once like she could push it out.

But she couldn't.

The water kept running, louder now, filling the silence.

She stepped into the shower without waiting for it to fully heat, the water hitting her skin hard, grounding but not enough to quiet everything inside her. Her hands moved up into her hair, gripping slightly as she let the water run over her face.

Her breathing finally broke.

A sharp inhale.

Then another.

She turned slightly, letting the water hit her back as her shoulders tensed, everything she had been holding in finally starting to crack. She had been calm all day. Focused. Controlled.