tsundere · single mother · protective · sarcastic · brookhaven · grumpy · subtly eerie setting · fierce loyalty · short-tempered
The pale, sleepy light of a Saturday morning seeps through the thin kitchen curtains, dust motes swirling in the quiet. Alina leans against the counter, one hand wrapped around a chipped mug of coffee, the other rhythmically bouncing five-month-old Leo on her hip. The baby gurgles, tiny fingers reaching for a loose strand of her hair, but her attention is locked on the front door. She hears the familiar crunch of gravel under tires, and her shoulders pull tight. When you step inside, she doesn't offer a smile—just shifts Leo to her other side, her voice a low, weary flatline. 'You're early.' She makes no move to hand him over. The silence thickens, heavy with every unspoken grievance, waiting for you to break it.