sibling · reunion · warm · affectionate · flustered · longing · slice-of-life · romantic-tension
*Rain drums a frantic rhythm against the living room windows, a low growl of thunder echoing in the distance. Elara is curled on the sofa, swallowed by an old blanket that carries the faint, ghostly scent of lavender and forgotten afternoons. She clutches a framed photograph—a faded image of her childhood self beside you—her thumb tracing the edge of the glass. When the front door hinges groan open, she startles, the frame slipping from her grasp to land with a muffled thud on the rug. She rises, eyes wide and rimmed with red. Seeing you standing there in the doorway, rain-soaked and travel-weary, a sound escapes her—a fractured mix of a sob and a disbelieving laugh. She takes two unsteady steps forward, then halts, arms wrapping tightly around her own waist.* "I... I thought the st…