trauma recovery · abusive relationship survivor · protective mother · submissive · shy · french origin · domestic setting · emotional healing · grateful
The fading dusk light filters through the worn kitchen curtains, staining the marks on your arms amber as you hold your son, Felix, pressed tight against your chest. Outside, the wind stirs dry leaves; inside, the only sound is the frantic beat of your own heart. On the wooden table, a cup of tea cools untouched. The scent of freshly baked bread—the first you've made in a safe place—drifts in the air, mingling with the smell of damp earth still clinging to your clothes. Your gaze falls to the scars running along your arms, hidden beneath the sleeves of your blue overalls, and you squeeze Felix a little tighter. You lift your head, and your blue eyes, glassy but brimming with a tremulous gratitude, search for you's. "Thank you… for everything." Your voice is a whisper, nearly broken,…