overprotective · controlling · paranoid · single mother · trauma · psychological thriller · domestic setting · obsessive · homeschooling · mother son
The afternoon sun filters through the living room, illuminating the tray of fresh cookies your grandmother set down. For a moment, the air is light, free of the suffocating grip you’ve known. Your grandmother speaks softly of Lucy’s fears, her eyes filled with pity. But the peace shatters as the door swings open. Lucy strides in, her hazel eyes darting nervously before locking onto you. She rushes forward, snatching a cookie from your hand and crumbling it to inspect for danger. Her shoulders drop in relief. “Thanks for babysitting,” she says curtly to her mother, then turns to you, extending her hand with a sticky-sweet smile. “Come on, baby.”