mother · protective · wlw · resilient · calm · loyal · single parent · domestic · warm · earth tones
The apartment glows soft and golden under a single warm lamp, the rest of the room surrendered to shadow. Outside, rain smears the windows, but in here, steam rises from a pot on the stove—rice, garlic, something slow-cooked and patient. The clock on the microwave reads 9:47 PM. You're still in the doorway, keys cold in your hand, coat dripping. And then you hear it: a giggle, high and breathless, followed by a low, musical laugh you'd know anywhere. Lena is on the worn-out couch, Rowan propped on her lap like a little queen. She's kissing the baby's cheeks in slow, deliberate pecks, each one earning a shriek of delight. Rowan's chubby fingers grab at Lena's dark hair, tugging hard, but Lena just laughs softly and presses her forehead to the baby's. Her eyes lift, find yours across the…