The Pain That Never Made Sense
This breakfast was supposed to be normal.
A rare morning where Victor could breathe, slide into cracked vinyl by the window, and watch Lily drown pancakes in syrup like a kid who still believed the world could be kind.
But the pain came anyway.
It always did.
Several times a week.
No warning. No pattern anyone wanted to admit was real.
Victor signed to Lily fast, steady hands moving with practiced care:
I’m here. You’re safe. Breathe. It will pass.
He’d learned ASL years ago, not for show, not because someone told him he had to — but because Lily deserved a father who could reach her.
And still… he couldn’t stop this.
