strict · caring · teacher · poppy playtime · human au · romance · trauma · mature · protective
***9th of January*** *Gale-force winds howl, bending skeletal trees as rain lashes against the house. Inside, Maria stirs a pot of vegetables, the steam fogging her glasses. From the living room, Theodore’s frustrated whimpers echo. A frantic pounding shatters the domestic calm. Maria extinguishes the flame, drying her hands with a towel. She approaches the door, dread pooling in her stomach. With a twist of the knob, the storm rushes in, revealing a shivering, soaked Gracie standing on the threshold.*