The evening had fallen quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft rustle of leaves against the windows. Cody sat on the couch in the living room of Millie's home, his fingers tracing the edges of the mug of coffee in front of him, eyes distant. It wasn't like him to sit still for long; he was always the one on the go, keeping the house in order, and the pressure mounting on his shoulders, all he wanted was peace, so Millie's house it was.
Millie was sitting across from him, curled up in the armchair, flipping through a magazine she'd long since lost interest in. She could tell something was off; the way he clenched his jaw when he thought no one was looking, the way his fingers drummed on the coffee table—an indication of the restless energy that was building within him.
"Talk to me, Codes" she said softly, her voice gentle but firm, the same way she'd been coaxing him to open up for the past years they'd been happily together.
Cody sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before looking away again. He didn't want to burden her with his family's mess, she knew it all but not when she had enough on her plate. But Millie always had a way of drawing him out, of seeing through the walls he built.
"I'm just... tired," he finally muttered. "Tired of all of it, you know? I'm always the one holding it together for everyone, and sometimes I feel like no one even notices."
Millie set the magazine down and stood up, crossing the room to sit beside him on the couch. She reached for his hand, squeezing it gently, and looked at him with a knowing, almost sad expression.
"You don't have to do it all by yourself," she said quietly. "You're allowed to feel overwhelmed, Cody. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You're not just the 'man of the house'—you're my boyfriend. You're allowed to have bad days too."
Cody shifted uncomfortably, not used to being vulnerable with anyone, least of all with Millie. She was his calm in the storm, the one person who made sense in a world full of chaos. But letting her in too much, letting her see just how deeply everything was affecting him, made him feel weak.
"I don't want to let anyone down," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Harriet's not here to help. And... well, sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who cares. It's like no one else is stepping up, and I'm just... stuck."
Millie's thumb traced the back of his hand, soothing him without words. "You're not stuck, Cody. You're doing the best you can. That's all anyone can do."
But even as she spoke, she knew it wasn't enough for him. The pressure Cody felt from his family, the burden of being the one to pick up the pieces when everything fell apart, was suffocating. And Millie wasn't blind to how much it was eating away at him, even if he tried to mask it.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this," he muttered, his head falling into his hands. "I love my family, but they're so... much sometimes. And now my grandmother is just constantly there, throwing in her opinions on everything and everybody."
Millie shifted closer, wrapping her arms around him, letting him bury his face against her shoulder. She knew he needed this—needed the comfort and reassurance that he wasn't alone in this.
"You're not alone," she repeated softly, her voice steady. "I'm here. And when you need to talk, when you need someone to just listen... I'm here for you, always."
Cody breathed in deeply, the tension slowly easing from his shoulders as he let himself lean into her embrace. He hadn't realized how much he needed this—needed her. He had spent so much of his life trying to hold everything together, trying to keep up the façade that he was fine when, in reality, he was barely hanging on.
But with Millie, it was different. She didn't need him to be perfect. She just needed him to be honest.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I probably don't say it enough, but I... I really do appreciate you, Mills. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Millie smiled, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "You don't have to apologize. Just be you, Cody. That's enough for me. I love you."
"I love you too."
They stayed like that for a long while, the quiet of the room enveloping them. For once, Cody didn't feel like he had to be the strong one. With Millie beside him, he could breathe—could just be himself, flaws and all. And for the first time in a while, the weight of his family's expectations didn't feel quite as heavy. Not because they had magically disappeared, but because, in that moment, he had someone who cared enough to help him carry it.
"It's nice to have Aura back at school.. the soccer team was looking a bit bare without her."
Cody shifted in his seat, leaning back and running a hand through her hair. "I'm worried about her though." he said, his voice low, the concern in his eyes clear.
Millie looked up from the book she was reading, her expression softening as she gave him her full attention. "I can tell. You've been thinking about her a lot lately. Is it because of school? Or... the stuff with her eating disorder?"
"Both." Cody admitted, leaning forward.
"I'm glad she's recovering, but it's like no one knows how to help her. It's like she's back in school because she feels like she has to, like it's what's expected of her, not because she actually wants to. I just—I hate seeing her struggle."
Millie gently placed her hand over his. "She's lucky to have you, you know that, right? I don't think she has anyone else in the family who really sees her, not like you do anyway."
Cody gave a small, sad smile. "Maybe. But I don't know how much it helps. I mean, I want to be there for her, but I'm not even sure how to help her get back to a place where she feels like herself again. With everything she's been through, going back to school, it's like a whole new battle for her."
Millie squeezed his hand, her eyes filled with understanding. "Have you talked to her about how she's feeling? Like, really talked? Not just about school or about your parents, but about her. What she needs from you."
Cody hesitated, his brows furrowing. "I try, but she's so... closed off, you know? She doesn't really open up to anyone, and I don't want to push her. Not with everything that's happened."
"Maybe that's exactly what she needs, though," Millie replied softly. "Maybe she needs someone to push her, in the right way. Someone to remind her that it's okay to be vulnerable. To not always be perfect. She's been through a lot, Cody, and it's not going to be easy for her to trust again."
Cody let out a long breath, staring at the floor as if looking for answers. "I know. I just—I don't want to fail her. Not like how I feel like I've failed everyone else. I want to help her, but I'm not sure I know how."
Millie leaned over, brushing his shoulder with her hand in a small, reassuring gesture. "You don't have to have all the answers. You just need to be there. Sometimes that's enough. Just showing up, even when things are messy, is what matters the most."
Cody looked at her, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on his chest. "I guess I've been so focused on holding things together for everyone else that I haven't really thought about what Aura needs from me. I've been so worried about taking care of the house, taking care of my siblings... I forgot that I'm supposed to be there for her, too."
"You're human, Cody," Millie said with a small smile, her voice warm. "You can't do it all on your own. But you're trying. And that counts for more than you think."
Cody nodded slowly, feeling a bit of the tension lift off his shoulders. "Yeah. Maybe I'll talk to her tomorrow. Really talk to her, not just the surface stuff."
"That sounds like a good idea." Millie agreed. "Just be gentle with her, okay? She's been through a lot, and the last thing she needs is to feel like she's failing you too."
"I won't push her." Cody promised, his voice steady now, as if he had made up his mind.
"I'll be there, but I won't pressure her. She'll come around when she's ready."
Millie leaned in and kissed his cheek, her touch soft and comforting.
"You're doing your best. And that's all anyone can ask for."
Cody smiled, feeling a bit lighter than he had in days. For once, he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his own. With Millie by his side, he had a little more room to breathe, and a little more hope that maybe, just maybe, his family could start to heal.