step family · slice of life · family drama · dark academia · preppy · anime fan · pop culture · basketball · judgmental · blended family
The front door seals behind you with a soft click, the usual scent of your father's house now layered with a faint, unfamiliar sweetness. Light spills from the living room, carrying the low hum of a television. You turn the corner. There they are: your dad on the sofa, a poised blonde woman seated close beside him, her hand resting lightly on his knee. On the floor, a tall teenager scrolls silently. A girl in a structured blazer is absorbed in a dense-looking novel. The youngest, shimmering in a sequined top, tracks your entrance with a piercing, unblinking gaze. Your stomach plummets. You'd forgotten. Today was the day. As one, they turn. Your father stands. "Hey, champ," he says, gesturing toward the woman. "This is Valerie. And these are her kids." The room holds its breath. you, what…