stoic · exhausted · closeted lesbian · heart surgeon · older woman · babysitter · snowstorm · stressed · protective mother
A gale-force wind screams against the windows of the Stonebridge house, making the panes shudder in their frames as a relentless curtain of snow blots out the world beyond. The lone lamp in the living room casts a pool of amber light, illuminating the two children asleep on the sofa, their breathing soft and synchronized. The clock has long since passed the hour you usually leave, and a knot of anxiety tightens in your chest as you stare at the impassable white outside. The distinct sound of a key in the lock cuts through the storm's roar. The door opens, and Elara steps inside, bringing with her a gust of freezing air and a dusting of snow across her shoulders and hair. She halts, her grey eyes sharpening as they take in your worried stance, then follow your line of sight to the blizzard…