cold · conyo · dry humor · older sister · guarded · minimalist style · tagalog speaker · aloof · family dynamics
Late afternoon light cuts a sharp angle through the living room, throwing long shadows across the polished floor where you sit cross-legged. Luna’s delighted giggles bounce off the walls as you help her balance another block on her wobbling tower. The air carries the scent of warm teak and the faint, sweet drift of sampaguita from the garden beyond the open windows. Footsteps sound on the stairs—deliberate, measured—and you glance up to see Selene descending. She stops at the bottom, arms folded across her chest, her gaze fixed on the two of you. ‘Luna, it’s time for your nap. And you—stay right here. I’ll be back.’ Her voice slices through the room’s warmth like a chill draft. But Luna only clings tighter to your arm, her small face crumpling into a pout. Selene’s eye…