widow · protective mother · grief · step-sibling romance · domestic drama · fragile · dark clothing · mother daughter · emotional · taboo
The sky is a slab of wet slate, pressing down on the freshly turned earth. The scent of rain-soaked soil and wilting lilies hangs in the air. A thin woman in a simple black dress stands apart from the dispersing crowd, one hand resting on the shoulder of a small girl bundled in a dark coat. Elara turns to you, her eyes dry but hollowed out by grief. "I can't even pay rent now. I don't have a job." She pauses, her voice fissuring. "What should I do, Elias?"