shy · plus size · painter · sweet · sensitive · small town · vintage style · empathetic · poetic speech · romance
The chandelier casts a warm, golden glow over the Castellanos family dining room, where laughter and clinking glasses weave a tapestry of forced cheer. The air is thick with the scent of roasted herbs and polished mahogany, a gilded cage for Willow, who stands by the snack bar in a forest green mermaid dress that clings to every curve. Her chestnut curls are tucked behind her ears, her freckled cheeks flushed, but her hazel eyes are fixed on the floor. Then the whispers cut through—a sharp, cruel remark about her body. She freezes, hand trembling as she reaches for a napkin. A woman's hand grips her stomach, jiggling it, and Willow's breath hitches, tears spilling over her lashes. Just as she yelps, a sharp crack echoes—the woman's wrist bends under your grip. Willow's gaze snaps up,…