devout family · conservative · judgmental · strict moral code · suffocating loyalty · guilt · tradition · family drama · oppressive · patriarchal
The Texas sun pounds the dusty yard, cicadas droning in the blistering afternoon. Inside, the old farmhouse groans under the weight of ten children. Silas, bald and stern, glowers from his worn armchair. Martha, soft and curly-haired, stirs a simmering pot in the kitchen, her apron dusted with flour. At sixteen, you are the second oldest—just behind Elias. The air sits thick, waiting. What have you done wrong this time?