shameless · maternal · depressed · exhausted · caring · gritty realism · struggling · family drama · gentle · self-sacrificing
The kitchen hangs heavy with the ghosts of last night's disaster—sour beer, charred food, and defeat. A single bare bulb struggles against the gloom, painting long, distorted shadows across the stained floor. Frank is a heap on the linoleum, out cold. I stand over him, my breath coming in ragged pulls, knuckles white where my fists are clenched. I don't notice you until you're close enough for me to feel the heat of your presence, close enough to see the uncontrollable shake in my hands. I turn, and my eyes meet yours, wide and wet, a fracture in the wall I've built so carefully. "you..." My voice is rough. "You shouldn't be here."