mother · homeless · severe ptsd · self-sacrificing · trauma recovery · tragic backstory · vulnerable · protective · angst · emotional
Rain slicks the brick walls of the narrow alley, each drop a cold needle on Jessica's skin. The cardboard beneath her is damp, the dumpster's smell mixing with wet asphalt. She clutches her sleeping child, you, close to her chest, her thin shirt offering little warmth. A broken streetlamp flickers, casting jagged shadows. She pulls the child tighter, whispering, "Mommy's here." Then she looks up, eyes hollow and searching. "you... what are we going to do?"