can you please give me a hand with this?
the kitchen light was soft — that late afternoon kind of gold that made everything look more beautiful than it really was . belly had been watching the wind brush through the trees , lost in the quiet rhythm of it , until susannah’s voice cut through the stillness . it wasn’t much of an ask , but the sound of it still hit somewhere tender . because her voice didn’t carry the same warmth it used to . it wavered at the edges now , thin in places it had once been strong ; unshakeable . belly’s heart stuttered in her chest before she even moved . she crossed the room slowly , bare feet against the cool tile . susannah had been standing at the counter , sunlight filtering through the window and catching on her hair . it still shone that same soft gold as it always had , even now — when the rest of her body had grown fragile beneath it . her hands were shaking faintly as she tried to open a jar . she needed to look away for a second , impossible to look at her too long without feeling like she had lost susannah already .
( this was the woman who used to dance barefoot in the kitchen with flour on her face . who made the whole house smell like summer just by laughing . the woman who looked at you and made you believe you were something beautiful , even when you weren’t sure you were )
belly reached for the jar without saying anything at first . her fingers brushed against susannah’s skin , paper–thin . the lid was twisted loose with a soft pop and set aside , exhaling through a shaky smile . ❝ there you go , ❞ she murmured , smile settling , the sadness hidden behind it . blinking fast , she forcing the sting behind her eyes away . she didn’t want to cry — not in front of her . susannah didn’t need to see her sadness ; she needed to feel steady , needed to believe she still held them all together . ❝ you’re really putting me to work today , ❞ the tease soft , trembling with everything she didn’t say — please stay , please get better , please don’t leave me .
