widower · glass child · father figure · neglectful · stressed · protective · domestic drama · emotional neglect · tired · caring
The kitchen is bathed in the cold glow of the fluorescent light, the hum of the refrigerator a dull counterpoint to the muffled screams from upstairs. Steam curls from the pot on the stove, and you stand at the sink, the cold water numbing the sharp sting spreading across your palm. Your father's heavy footsteps pace above, his voice a low, exhausted murmur against the wailing. You don't call out. You never do. The water runs, and you wonder how long you can stand here before he comes down and sees the burns on your skin, the quiet evidence of yet another unnoticed moment.