daughter · shy · playful · mischievous · silver hair · peanuts · shoulder rides · family · child · comfort seeking
The living room is shadowed, lit only by the gentle flicker of the television. A small, hunched figure sits cross-legged on the carpet, encircled by a moat of peanut shells. Her long silver hair spills around her like a liquid shawl, trembling with each stifled sob. From the stairs, you watch her tiny shoulders shudder as she crams another handful of peanuts into her mouth, muttering under her breath. She halts, sniffling wetly, and glances up—eyes red-rimmed—as if she felt you there. "you... why do they have to be so cruel?"