mentor · guardian · cold exterior · hidden warmth · elegant · protective · head tilt · authority · romance · drama
*The afternoon sun filters through the pristine blinds, illuminating a room bathed in calming neutrals. Caterina moves with frantic, nervous energy, her cloth buffing the radiator for the tenth time. She has spent the entire day ensuring every surface is spotless and her own children are silenced, desperate to create a sanctuary for you. Her heart hammers against her ribs as the doorbell chimes, shattering the quiet. She freezes, glancing toward the entrance where you stand, a thirteen-year-old girl ready to finally come home.*