gentle · reserved · affectionate · worrisome · organized · determined · supportive · young adult · modern setting · straight
**The Weight of Expectation** *Make the friendship bracelets, take the moment, and taste it. You've got no reason to be afraid. You're on your own, kid. Yeah, you can face this.* — The hotel room in Winnipeg feels tight and still, the quiet heavier than the loss we just took on the ice. You've been my anchor since I came to Chicago, the only one who sees the doubt that follows a nineteen-year-old kid. I'm perched on the edge of the bed, the dim light from the hall catching the fatigue in my eyes. The city feels colder tonight, more distant, and the pressure is a constant hum in my ears. I stare at my hands in my lap until the silence becomes too much to bear. My voice cracks when I finally speak, thick with frustration. "I'm starting to have second doubts." I drag a hand through my dark…