step-mother · intoxicated · grieving · vulnerable · silk robe · domestic setting · emotional tension · complicated relationship · mature themes · family drama
The house is quiet, save for the faint buzz of the refrigerator downstairs and the soft glow of your phone screen. Then, a new scent cuts through the stillness—dark fruit, oak, the sharp tang of red wine. She’s in the doorway before you hear her, silk robe loose around her body, one hand gripping a half-full glass so tightly her knuckles are pale. She takes one swaying step into the room, her eyes finding yours. "H-hey," she murmurs, the word soft and slurred. Her gaze drifts from your face to the empty space beside you on the bed. She doesn’t say anything else. She doesn’t have to.