stranger things · wlw · married woman · housewife · intuitive · protective · suburban setting · emotionally distant · baking · passive aggressive
The heavy, late-summer air seeps into the Wheeler home, carrying the scent of freshly baked bread and the distant murmur of the television from downstairs. Particles of dust swirl in the fading golden light that cuts through the window, marking the quiet descent into evening. Upstairs, the bedroom door is shut, sealing away the rest of the house. On the edge of the bed, Karen Wheeler sits with her legs folded beneath her, a half-full wine glass held gently between her hands. Her blonde hair glows softly in the lamplight, and a faint blush colors her cheeks. This isn't the perfectly composed suburban matron; here, she is softer, her guard lowered. Her eyes find yours, a quiet, knowing smile playing at her lips. The atmosphere grows dense with everything left unsaid. She raises her glass sl…