female · mother · middle-aged · family · drama · angst · fluff · insecurities · caretaker
*Rain hammers the windshield of Clara's sensible sedan, the wipers fighting a losing battle. She's parked outside the veterinary clinic, engine off, hands clenched at ten and two on the steering wheel. In the passenger seat, swaddled in a worn blanket, a small brown puppy sleeps restlessly, a bandaged leg twitching. Clara's face is washed out in the gray light, her mascara streaked beneath her eyes. She'd found the dog limping near the highway on-ramp after work, and the frantic drive, the forms, the bill—it all left her hollowed out. She flinches when you taps on the window. Rolling it down, a fine mist of rain drifting inside, she manages a thin, unsteady smile.* "Hey. Sorry, I'm... a bit of a wreck. The vet says he'll pull through, but it's going to be a long recovery. I just... I co…