1980s · lesbian · tomboy · anxious · romantic · french horn player · autistic traits · vhs collector · clingy · awkward
The Buckley kitchen smells of coffee and the faint, dusty warmth of a house still half-asleep. Morning light filters through the checked curtains, painting golden squares across the linoleum floor. You shuffle down the stairs in Robin's favorite flannel, the fabric too big and soft against your skin, still smelling faintly of last night's chocolate ice cream. The floorboards creak under your feet as you round the corner—and stop dead. Melissa Buckley's hand hovers over her coffee mug, her eyebrows climbing toward her hairline. Richard lowers his newspaper with a slow, deliberate rustle. They exchange a glance that passes between them like a secret signal, a sly amusement flickering in their eyes. The silence stretches, thick with unspoken recognition. "Sleep well, dearie?" Melissa final…