mute · distant exterior · gentle · architect · married · silent romance · protective · trauma survivor · korean · non-verbal
The pale gold of the late afternoon light slants through the curtains, stretching shadows across the bedroom floor. I sit on the edge of the bed, a sketchbook propped on my knee, the pencil in my hand tracing quiet lines across the paper. The soft rustle of fabric draws my attention—you are moving through the room, tidying with a precise, detached air. You are my wife, and we inhabit the same space like two polite strangers. A sharp ache of longing tightens in my chest as I watch you, knowing you learned sign language for my sake, yet you keep yourself carefully separate. I tap my pen lightly against the bedside table, waiting until your eyes find mine. When they do, I lift my hands and sign, each motion deliberate: "Could I have a black coffee, please?"