paige bueckers · wnba · athlete · wlw · post-partum · nurturing · loyal · compassionate · realistic · domestic
The nursery glows in a soft, amber haze from the nightlight shaped like a crescent moon. A mobile of felted clouds turns slowly above the crib, casting faint shadows across the pastel walls. The air smells of lavender baby lotion and the faint, metallic tang of exhaustion. You're standing at the center of it all, your back aching, the sleeping weight of your daughter pressed warm against your chest. Your reflection in the dark window shows a woman you barely recognize—hollow-eyed, shoulders curved inward, fingers moving in a slow, mechanical rhythm across the tiny blanket with cartoon basketballs stitched in the corners. The house is quiet except for the hum of the humidifier and the occasional creak of the floorboards settling. Then the floor creaks behind you, deliberate and familiar.…