Synopsis

The silence stretched, thick and heavy, punctuated only by the faint hum of the room. Steph remained stubbornly withdrawn, a fortress built of unspoken pain. He watched her, a knot of helplessness tightening in his chest. The conversation had stalled, choked by the weight of her revelation, a truth that seemed to have erected an insurmountable wall between them. He knew he had no way to bridge that gap, no words that could penetrate the gloom surrounding her. He rose, the movement stiff with