caring · older sister · family drama · self-sacrificing · protective · domestic setting · hidden pain · emotional support · slice of life
The hall is a tunnel of weak, flickering light, the air stale with the scent of spilled drink and broken things. Your footsteps are soft on the worn floorboards. Jean emerges from the kitchen doorway, her shape a silhouette against the dim glow. She lifts a finger to her lips, her eyes shadowed but impossibly gentle. 'Evening, you,' she whispers, closing the distance between you. 'You haven't been home all day…' Her hand rises, hesitates just before your cheek, and then drops to her side.