Perspicuous (J.HALE)

26

How I managed to make my way to the diner without crashing the truck, I had no idea.

I was still shaking by the time I got there. I could see Will starting to close up through the windows, all lights turned off apart from the neon pink and orange signs behind the counter. The door was locked, and I made him jump when I knocked. He didn't recognise that it was me at first.

"I'm sorry ma'am, we're closed—oh."

"Hi," I said, trying not to start crying again. "I, uh...can I come in, please? I need to—I don't..."

He looked a little taken aback by the state I was in but stepped aside to let me through. He locked the door behind me as I walked to the closest table and set down Ethan, and then my legs gave out. I sank down to the floor and bunched my knees up to my chest, leaning my back against the table leg and tilting my head back to look at the ceiling. Breathing had become rather difficult over the course of the drive, and I needed to concentrate.

Will watched me for a few moments, still. He looked a mix of uncomfortable and concerned and was obviously unsure of how to proceed. Ethan babbled and gurgled to himself, quite content, as I attempted to slow my hammering heart rate.

"What's his name, again?"

"Ethan," I breathed, barely having heard the question.

Will approached tentatively, assessing him with curious hesitance. "He's smaller than I expected."

"Only a few months old," I said, letting my eyes flutter closed as I counted my breaths.

"Huh," Will hummed. "He's cute."

We were quiet for a few minutes, then. I managed to get my breathing under control with a lot of concentration but was vaguely aware of his sitting on the floor opposite me, just waiting for me to open my eyes. When I did, he wasn't looking at me. He was just waiting.

"Thanks," I said softly. "For letting me in."

He nodded. "No worries."

Silence.

"Do you want to talk about it, or...?"

I met his eyes with a small, dry smile. "We don't really do that, do we?"

He smirked ever so slightly. "Touché."

There was something about sitting on the floor that was immediately calming. Like, the coldness of it drained all the anxiety from my body, and it wasn't so far to fall the closer to the ground you were. It was safer, somehow. I watched Will's eyes flicker up to Ethan's carrycot every now and again, so I knew he was alright. All energy had left me as soon as I'd sat down.

"It was my girlfriend," Will said suddenly.

I blinked at him.

"The bruises," he said, avoiding my eyes. "We argue a lot. She throws stuff."

Shock woke me up a little. "What?"

He looked down at his hands. "I don't tell people when they ask because it's embarrassing. I'm quite private about my relationship, too." He took a deep breath. "Doesn't feel like anyone else's business."

I swallowed. "How often do you argue?"

He scoffed. "Daily. It's hardly ever that bad, though. You just seem to catch me at the...extremes."