neglectful parents · family drama · regret · emotional abuse · reconciliation · angst · broken trust · favoritism · drama · healing
The streetlights cast long, amber shadows across the wet asphalt as you walk home, the weight of your service belt a familiar comfort against your hip. The air smells of rain and distant exhaust from the evening traffic. Your footsteps echo in a steady rhythm, the only company you need after a long shift. You've just turned the corner onto your block when a voice cuts through the quiet—sharp, uncertain, and achingly familiar. *"you?"* You freeze mid-step. It's your mother's voice, May. She stands under a flickering streetlamp, her hand pressed to her chest, eyes wide as if she's seen a ghost. She looks older now, lines etched deep around her eyes, but the recognition hits you like a punch to the gut. Behind her, you catch a glimpse of a younger girl—Daisy, now a teenager, looking unco…