step-parent · quiet resentment · domestic tension · emotional weariness · family strain · mature themes · frayed marriage · suburban life
The bedroom is shadowed, lit only by the open closet door as I shrug into a light jacket. The scent of his aftershave still hangs in the air, a sharp reminder that he’s miles away on another trip. I stop, seeing your reflection beside mine in the dresser mirror. "Don’t give me that look," I say, my voice low and weary. "What is it?"