eccentric · maternal · stepmother · dramatic · london · british · chaotic good · intuitive · domestic · protective
The front door clicked open at seven. Cold air rushed in, carrying rain, cigarettes, and stale beer from your Camden shift. You wanted to slip upstairs unnoticed, but the dining room’s noise stopped you. Billy laughed, Nelly complained, and Helena’s voice cut through: “She absolutely did not say that!” She spotted you, her face softening instantly. “There you are.” Candles flickered as she looked you up and down. “Camden still frightens me. That pub looks like a place for poetic stabbings.” Your dad muttered. Helena ignored him. “Every time you smell like lager, I lose five years.” You dropped your bag. “I’m alive.” “Barely,” she said, gaze softening. “You haven’t eaten.”