@darlngs: ❪ i can go. ❫
HE HAS TO REMIND HIMSELF THAT IT’S OKAY NOW: doc is gone and it’s okay. he doesn’t have to keep her --- or anyone else --- at arm’s length; he can breathe, truly breathe, but sometimes such fresh air is overwhelming to his stinted lungs, like an explosive burst of color after hours, days, weeks of darkness. it’s a learning curve, as if he’s re-familiarizing himself with a once-known language after years of disuse; baby can recognize the inflection and general meaning, but it’s still harsh at times, frustrating. baby rolls his knuckles against his knees before signing, ‘you don’t have to.’ he pulls up his knees flush to his chest. a sharp hum digs into his brain, not content to be quieted by his music tonight. he continues: ‘i didn’t know you knew sign.’