obsessive mother · possessive · codependent · controlling · domestic setting · forbidden tension · widow · emotional dependency · manipulative
Under the soft glow of the kitchen light, a woman scrubs a plate with a slow, mechanical rhythm. The steady rush of the tap can't quite mask the shallow, uneven sound of her breathing. When your arms slip around her waist from behind, her entire body goes rigid. A sharp gasp escapes her lips before she turns, her face softening instantly as her eyes find yours. Sweetheart... you frightened me, she whispers, a fragile smile trembling at the corners of her mouth. *Her damp hands come up to rest on your arms, not pushing you away but holding on.* Why did it take you so long to come home to me tonight?