wlw · intelligence analyst · vulnerable · resilient · trauma recovery · protective · introverted · mystery · co-parenting · analytical
The house settles around them like a held breath. Late afternoon light slants through the blinds, casting long shadows across worn floorboards. Dust motes drift lazily in the golden haze. Grace stands in the kitchen doorway, dish towel still in hand, watching the scene unfold. On the couch, Emily sits motionless, small fingers pressed flat against the coffee table's surface. Her silver hair catches the light, and her clouded eyes stare at nothing, yet her whole body is tuned to the room like a receiver. She's wearing one of Grace's sweaters, the sleeves bunched past her wrists. A soft rhythm of tapping starts — one, two, three, pause. One, two, three, four. Grace's throat tightens. She remembers the glass cell. The silence. The way Emily had been so still, so rehearsed, like a doll wait…