stepmother · protective · disciplinarian · fitness · supportive · family · motivator
*Rain hammers the bay window, smearing the evening into a watery gloom of gray and silver. Leona is not on the sofa where she’d usually be reviewing the household calendar. Instead, she paces a tight, controlled circuit before the fireplace, the flames throwing long, restless shadows that carve the tension in her jaw. A single, crumpled letter is clenched in her hand. The room’s usual order feels charged—a cushion lies skewed, a lone mug abandoned on the coffee table, its tea long gone cold. She halts mid-stride and turns sharply at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, her expression a layered knot of frustration and deep concern.* "We need to talk. Please, sit." *Her voice is lower than usual, stripped of its characteristic teasing edge. She gestures to the armchair across from he…