Charlie is supportive
The Shrinking Virus- Collaberotica Version
Chapter 18
· original author:
irrational
"It's alright honey, you can tell me," Charlie said, his voice soft and reassuring as he stroked Lillian's belly. Leaning back in his pillow, he processed the realisation, even as he waited for Lillian to tell him the details of what he knew she had done.
Charlie's memory went back a couple of weeks to the morning that Lillian had finally come to him with her answer. They had been sitting together on the couch on a Saturday morning, after a nice breakfast that he had cooked for her as a treat on one of the few days she had off since the start of the epidemic. At six months pregnant, her bump had begun to show and she was beginning to eat more and more. Their conversation had soon returned to her non-answer, what would she do if she found a shrink? And what would she do, if she found him shrunk? This time, Lillian had looked at him and answered his question in earnest.
"Charlie I don't want you to look at me any different for saying this, but it's the truth," she had started. "I love you and you know I would never want to see you hurt in any way."
"It's just, I can't imagine what I would do if you were shrunk," she continued, "because I just don't feel the same way you do about shrinks."
Charlie had been stunned by his wife's revelation. Lillian was the most caring and loving person he had ever met, everyone that knew her knew how gentle and kind she was to every soul around her.
"What do you mean Lillian? Are you saying that if I shrink, you wouldn't want to be with me anymore?"
"Of course I would, you're my husband Charlie! And you're going to be the father of our child. I told you when you first asked, that what I wanted to do and what I would do could be different things, and that's because of course I would take care of you and I would want you to be safe, but how do I even tell you this..." her voice had trailed away and Charlie recalled just how much of a struggle it had been for her to tell him then.
"I know this is going to sound wrong, but please just listen Charlie, because this is important and when the shrink virus started, I knew I should have told you about this earlier but I never thought it would actually happen and-"
"-and now we're here, and it's all real and you're never going to look at me the same way after I tell you."
"Tell me what Lillian? How could wanting me to be safe and wanting to take care of me be wrong? That's what I would do for you," Charlie said, confused," I don't understand why this is such a big deal, you could have told me that weeks ago when I first asked you, but instead I've been walking around wondering what you would do if I ended up getting the virus."
Realising that his wife was on the verge of tears, Charlie leaned in closer to her hoping to reassure her.
"What is it Lillian, what else is there, that it stopped you from just telling it to me straight honey? Don't you know that there is nothing about you I could not accept?"
"I know, but, you're going to think that I'm not who I am because of this, but I just can't help it, it's a part of me and I don't know how to let it go, especially now that-"
"-now that it's possible."
"It's alright Lil, I'm not going to look at you differently," Charlie said, hugging her close. "I'm certainly not going to make you feel bad about who you are, if you say that whatever this is, is that important to you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Charlie replied, "now please, tell me already, what did you mean when you said that what you wanted to do and what you would do could be different things?"
Charlie's memory went back a couple of weeks to the morning that Lillian had finally come to him with her answer. They had been sitting together on the couch on a Saturday morning, after a nice breakfast that he had cooked for her as a treat on one of the few days she had off since the start of the epidemic. At six months pregnant, her bump had begun to show and she was beginning to eat more and more. Their conversation had soon returned to her non-answer, what would she do if she found a shrink? And what would she do, if she found him shrunk? This time, Lillian had looked at him and answered his question in earnest.
"Charlie I don't want you to look at me any different for saying this, but it's the truth," she had started. "I love you and you know I would never want to see you hurt in any way."
"It's just, I can't imagine what I would do if you were shrunk," she continued, "because I just don't feel the same way you do about shrinks."
Charlie had been stunned by his wife's revelation. Lillian was the most caring and loving person he had ever met, everyone that knew her knew how gentle and kind she was to every soul around her.
"What do you mean Lillian? Are you saying that if I shrink, you wouldn't want to be with me anymore?"
"Of course I would, you're my husband Charlie! And you're going to be the father of our child. I told you when you first asked, that what I wanted to do and what I would do could be different things, and that's because of course I would take care of you and I would want you to be safe, but how do I even tell you this..." her voice had trailed away and Charlie recalled just how much of a struggle it had been for her to tell him then.
"I know this is going to sound wrong, but please just listen Charlie, because this is important and when the shrink virus started, I knew I should have told you about this earlier but I never thought it would actually happen and-"
"-and now we're here, and it's all real and you're never going to look at me the same way after I tell you."
"Tell me what Lillian? How could wanting me to be safe and wanting to take care of me be wrong? That's what I would do for you," Charlie said, confused," I don't understand why this is such a big deal, you could have told me that weeks ago when I first asked you, but instead I've been walking around wondering what you would do if I ended up getting the virus."
Realising that his wife was on the verge of tears, Charlie leaned in closer to her hoping to reassure her.
"What is it Lillian, what else is there, that it stopped you from just telling it to me straight honey? Don't you know that there is nothing about you I could not accept?"
"I know, but, you're going to think that I'm not who I am because of this, but I just can't help it, it's a part of me and I don't know how to let it go, especially now that-"
"-now that it's possible."
"It's alright Lil, I'm not going to look at you differently," Charlie said, hugging her close. "I'm certainly not going to make you feel bad about who you are, if you say that whatever this is, is that important to you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Charlie replied, "now please, tell me already, what did you mean when you said that what you wanted to do and what you would do could be different things?"
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June 3, 2023
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