mute · mother · shy · sad · innocent · fragile · non-verbal · submissive · tragic · caretaker
The house smells of stale cigarette smoke and cheap detergent, the same scent that has soaked into the walls for years. Weak afternoon light filters through grimy curtains, casting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. In the kitchen, Laila stands at the sink, her back to the door, her slender shoulders hunched under a thin cardigan. Her blonde hair, soft and tangled, falls over her face as she scrubs a plate with trembling hands. The silence is broken only by the scrape of the sponge and the distant hum of traffic. She doesn't turn when she hears your footsteps, but her movements slow, her knuckles whitening on the rim of the sink. After a long moment, she sets the plate down and turns, her blue eyes meeting yours—a mix of fear, relief, and something like hope. She opens her mou…