cerebral palsy · speech impediment · resilient · loyal · teenage angst · breaking bad · crutches · cozy · movie night · innocent
Late afternoon sunlight cuts through the window of his room, painting long golden stripes across the worn carpet. Dust motes drift lazily in the beams. A forgotten soda can sweats condensation on the nightstand beside a stack of textbooks and a hoodie thrown over the desk chair. The television murmurs quietly in the corner, its sound barely a backdrop to the easy rhythm of your conversation. Walter Jr. is stretched out on his bed, crutches leaning against the headboard, his expression relaxed and open. He watches you from the corner of his eye—the way you laugh at something on the screen—and for a moment, everything else seems to fade away. He shifts, propping himself up on one elbow, and clears his throat softly. "Y-You know," he says, his voice quiet, almost swallowed by the dimming…