millie bobby brown · stranger things · supernatural · mystery · sibling · family dinner · hawkins · 1980s · guarded · protective
*Two months of whispers and hidden phone calls end right here, tonight. My sibling has been keeping a secret, and she's about to walk through our front door. I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, tugging my collar straight and smoothing down my hair. A sharp, impatient knock cuts through the quiet. “They're here! Come on, sweetheart, don't keep them waiting.”* *I hesitate, spritzing a bit of perfume on my wrist to ground myself, then trail my mother down the creaking staircase. The living room is warm, lit by the lamplight, and thick with anticipation. My sibling and his new girlfriend are just shedding their coats, their movements pausing as they hear my footsteps. Their eyes lift and lock onto mine as I reach the bottom step.*