The mood swings came without warning.
One moment, Jay was quiet and thoughtful, curled up on the couch with the blanket pulled to her chin. The next, her chest felt tight for no reason she could explain.
Keifer noticed before she said anything.
She sighed sharply, eyes suddenly glassy. "I don't know why I feel like this," she muttered, frustration creeping into her voice.
Keifer turned off the TV immediately and shifted closer. "That's okay," he said gently. "You don't have to know."
Jay shook her head, tears threatening to spill. "I'm being dramatic. I don't even have a reason."
Keifer didn't argue. He just reached out slowly, giving her space to pull away if she wanted.
Instead, she leaned into him.
Her voice wavered. "One second I feel fine, and the next I feel like crying."
Keifer wrapped his arms around her carefully, like he was holding something precious. "Then cry," he said softly. "I'm right here."
That did it.
Jay's face crumpled, and she pressed her forehead into his chest. Her emotions spilled out—not loudly, not messily—just quiet tears soaking into his shirt.
Keifer didn't rush her. He didn't tell her to calm down or try to fix it.
He just held her.
His hand moved slowly up and down her back, steady and reassuring. "You're not too much," he murmured. "And you're not wrong for feeling this way."
Jay sniffed. "What if I'm annoying you?"
Keifer pulled back just enough to look at her, his expression serious but kind. "Jay," he said firmly, "you could never annoy me by needing me."
Her breath hitched.
"I don't feel like myself," she whispered.
Keifer brushed her hair back gently. "You don't have to be yourself right now. You can just be."
She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.
A few minutes later, her tears slowed. But the mood didn't fully lift—it shifted.
She frowned suddenly. "Why did you put the cushion there? It's crooked."
Keifer blinked, then smiled softly. "Okay," he said calmly, adjusting it. "Better?"
Jay paused, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
Keifer chuckled quietly. "You don't have to apologize for hormones."
Jay looked at him, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Did you just blame my mood on hormones?"
Keifer raised his hands playfully. "I blamed the universe. You're innocent."
Jay huffed, then—despite herself—smiled.
Keifer took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. "You can be sad. You can be cranky. You can be quiet or loud or emotional."
He looked at her with complete sincerity.
"I'll still be here."
Jay's eyes softened again, this time without tears.
"You're really not going anywhere, are you?" she asked quietly.
Keifer shook his head. "Nope. I signed up for all of you."
Jay rested her head on his shoulder, her voice small but certain. "I don't deserve you."
Keifer kissed her hair gently. "That's not your decision."
She let out a tiny laugh, exhausted but comforted.
And as her emotions settled into something calmer, Jay realized something important:
Even on her hardest days—when she felt unpredictable, emotional, and fragile—
Keifer didn't love her less.
If anything, he loved her more gently.
The snap came suddenly.
Jay was sitting on the couch, blanket slipping off her shoulder, her body aching and her head feeling too full. Keifer had just returned from the kitchen with a glass of warm water.
"Here," he said softly. "Drink a little."
Jay didn't know why—but something inside her twisted.
"I said I don't want anything!" she snapped, her voice sharper than she meant it to be.
The words hung in the air.
Keifer froze for a second, surprise flickering across his face. But he didn't raise his voice. He didn't look angry.
He simply placed the glass on the table slowly.
"Okay," he said gently. "That's fine."
The silence that followed felt heavier than the pain in Jay's body.
Her chest tightened immediately.
She looked at him—really looked—and saw the concern still there, unchanged. No irritation. No distance. Just quiet patience.
Her eyes filled instantly.
"I—" her voice broke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I don't know why I said it like that."
Keifer moved closer right away. He knelt in front of her so they were at eye level.
"Hey," he said softly. "Look at me."
Jay shook her head, tears spilling over. "I hurt you. I don't want to be like this."
Keifer reached up and gently wiped a tear from her cheek. "You didn't hurt me."
Jay sniffed. "I was rude."
Keifer smiled faintly. "You're in pain. You're emotional. That doesn't make you bad."
She looked at him, her voice trembling. "What if I keep snapping? What if I push you away?"
Keifer rested his forehead against hers. "Then I'll stay closer."
That made her cry harder.
"I don't deserve how patient you are," she whispered.
Keifer wrapped his arms around her carefully, pulling her into his chest. "You don't have to deserve it. You just have to let me."
Jay clung to him, her body shaking as the emotions finally released. Keifer held her the entire time, steady and warm, never letting go.
"I'm really sorry," she murmured again.
Keifer kissed the top of her head. "I know."
And just like that, the guilt eased.
That night, Jay finally fell asleep.
Her body was exhausted, her emotions spent. She curled into Keifer's side, one hand fisted in his shirt like she was afraid he might disappear.
Keifer didn't sleep.
He stayed still, careful not to move too much. One arm wrapped around her protectively, the other resting on her back.
He watched her breathe.
Every small shift. Every quiet sigh. Every tiny frown that crossed her face when discomfort returned.
When she stirred, he adjusted the blanket.
When she whimpered softly in her sleep, he rubbed slow circles on her back until she relaxed again.
At one point, she murmured something unintelligible and pressed closer.
Keifer lowered his head and whispered, barely audible, "I'm here. You're safe."
Jay settled immediately.
Keifer stayed awake long after the house went silent—long after the lights dimmed and the world outside faded.
Because loving her didn't stop when she was difficult.
It didn't stop when she snapped.
It didn't stop when she cried.
It didn't stop when she felt like too much.
If anything, that was when he stayed the most.
And as Jay slept peacefully against his chest, Keifer made a quiet promise to himself:
No matter how hard her days got,
she would never face them alone again.