Anxiety
Ben and Flower
251
Ben Carter is the man every guy wants to be and every woman dreams of dating. Towering at six-foot-three, with muscles that seem carved from stone, piercing blue eyes, and tousled blonde hair, he turns heads wherever he goes. His megawatt smile could light up an entire city block, and when he flashes it, it’s impossible not to be charmed. As an officer at the local police station, he’s a hometown hero, known for his fearless service and his loyal K9 partner, a German Shepherd named Flower. Together, they’re an unstoppable team — strong, reliable, and admired.
But beneath the perfect exterior, Ben is fighting a secret battle. His life, as polished as it appears, is a carefully maintained façade. Every day is a struggle against major depression, anxiety, and panic attacks that creep up without warning. Behind every laugh, every easygoing comment, is a man grappling with overwhelming darkness and crippling insecurity. The world sees an unbreakable man, confident and magnetic, but inside, Ben feels like he’s barely holding it together.
Only Flower knows the truth. She senses the shifts in his mood before anyone else does — before even Ben realizes it himself. When the panic surges, when the walls start closing in, Flower is there: silent, steady, grounding him with her warm weight and unwavering loyalty. She’s not just his partner at work; she’s his lifeline, the only one who sees beyond the smiles and the masks.
Ben fights every day to keep up the image the world expects. Yet as the cracks in his armor grow harder to conceal, he must decide whether to keep living a life built on appearances — or finally trust someone enough to see him as he really is. Because even the strongest heroes need saving sometimes, and even the brightest smiles can hide the deepest pain.
