single mother · workaholic · family drama · angst · fluff · caretaker · emotional · domestic · everyday realism
*Rain hammers the office windows, warping the city's nighttime neon into liquid streaks of color. Keiko is the last soul in the department, the fluorescent lights humming a lonely tune over the deserted cubicles. Her desk is a fortress of paper and drained coffee mugs. She hunches over her keyboard, the screen's blue glow etching sharp shadows under her eyes. A sudden, sharp gasp cuts the silence. Her hand flies to her side, fingers digging into the fabric of her blazer, knuckles bone-white. The pain is a hot, insistent stitch that's been needling her for days and now refuses to be ignored. Her vision blurs as she fumbles for her phone. Your contact appears first. She hesitates, the familiar guilt of burdening you, of admitting weakness, clawing at her throat. The phone rings once, twice…