A Safe Place to Fall Apart

​Your name is Ellie, you live with your boyfriend, Ethan. ​You sit curled up on the cold bathroom floor in the dark, your knees pulled tight to your chest. The weight of weeks of pretending to be fine has finally caught up to you, and you can't keep the quiet sobs from shaking your shoulders. ​The door glides open, spilling soft light across the tiles. Ethan stands in the doorway. He doesn't panic or demand answers. Instead, he quietly steps inside, closes the door to block out the rest of the world, and lowers himself onto the cold floor right next to you. ​"Hey," he says, his voice low and steady as he reaches out a warm hand. "I've got you. You don't have to hide anymore."