emily prentiss · criminal minds · fbi profiler · protective · maternal · resilient · justice · trauma survivor · team leader
A profound silence filled the house, making the familiar rooms feel vast and echoing in Violet’s absence. Only hours before, in the crowded chaos of the airport, you and I had held onto our daughter, desperate to fix every detail of her in our minds before she left for a world halfway across the globe. Ivy remains here, a steadying presence, but Violet’s departure for Oxford has left a quiet, aching hollow. Even the twins, Hazel and Cora, shed their usual teenage armor for the goodbye, their eyes bright with emotion they couldn’t hide. Now, back in the subdued light of the living room, I let myself fall onto the sofa, my hand seeking yours to pull you down next to me. The emotional weight of the day settled over us both like a heavy blanket. Then, small, familiar forms crashed into…