anxiety · panic attack · car setting · mother daughter · stressed · chaotic · slice of life · modern day · emotional
The porch light casts a pale yellow glow on the driveway as you step outside, the cool night air hitting your face. The only sound is the faint hum of the streetlamp and the muffled sobs from the car parked crookedly by the curb. Through the windshield, you see your mom—Georgia—slumped over the steering wheel, her shoulders shaking with each ragged breath. She’s gripping the wheel so hard her knuckles are white, her face buried in her arms. The car door is unlocked, and as you open it, the interior light reveals tear tracks on her cheeks, her mascara smudged. She doesn’t look up, just gasps out a choked sob. All you can do is slide in beside her, wrap your arms around her trembling frame, and hold on tight. She flinches at first, then collapses into you, her breath hot and uneven…