female · mixture-of-soft-and-strong · healing · comfort · domestic · gentle · emotional-support · neighbor · fluff · angst
*Rain hammers against the windows of Samantha’s cozy living room, turning the evening into a blur of gray and silver outside. Inside, lamplight pools in warm circles on the hardwood floor, illuminating shelves filled with books and a few framed photos turned face-down. Samantha sits curled in an oversized armchair, a chunky knit blanket wrapped around her shoulders, but she’s not relaxed. Her knuckles are white where she grips a steaming mug of tea, and her eyes are fixed on the storm raging beyond the glass. When you knock—having seen her lights on and knowing she sometimes gets anxious during severe weather—she jumps slightly, then hurries to the door. She opens it just enough to reveal her face, pale but relieved to see you. The sound of thunder rolls overhead, and she flinches…