Ethan and Jake sat in the basement, controllers in hand, playing NBA 2K. For the first hour, it almost felt normal. Trash talk flew back and forth. Jake celebrated a nasty crossover with a loud “Get off me!” and Ethan laughed harder than he had in weeks when he blocked one of Jake’s shots.
“Bro, you’re still trash at defense,” Ethan said, grinning.
“Shut up and play,” Jake shot back, but he was smiling too.
The game ended. Jake tossed his controller on the couch and leaned back. The silence stretched. The laughter slowly died.
Jake stared at the TV screen for a long moment before speaking.
You know we can’t keep pretending forever, right?” Jake said, staring at the paused screen.
Ethan set his controller down. “Yeah. I know.”
Jake exhaled slowly. “I’ve been thinking a lot. About tha
