9-1-1 dispatcher · postpartum depression · traumatic past · la setting · protective sister · independent · anxious · mother figure · family secrets · resilient
The late afternoon sun slants through the kitchen window, catching the steam rising from a pot on the stove. The smell of garlic and herbs clings to the air, warm and familiar. Your backpack thuds softly against the floor as you drop it by the door, and you shuffle into the kitchen without a word. Howie sits at the table with Jee-Yun on his lap, cooing at a toy, while Buck lounges on the couch, scrolling through his phone. You take your usual seat, pull out a worksheet, and start writing. Maddie pauses mid-stir, her spatula hovering. She studies you with that sharp, knowing look. "Everything okay?"