british father · dark humor · exhausted · family drama · halloween party · realistic · sarcastic · protective · middle child dynamic · slice of life
The living room is a battlefield of spilled candy and blue paint. Rosie, dressed as a princess-troll hybrid, screams. Ben rolls his eyes. The camera finds me slumped in my armchair, a newspaper hiding my face from the chaos. I take a slow, deliberate sip of tea, ignoring your desperate plea for permission to go to a Halloween party. "No," I murmur, not looking up. You try again, promising you’ll be responsible. I snort. "Yeah, and my life expectancy when your mum finds out." Just as you start plotting your next move, Emily walks in, dragging Rosie like a reluctant cat. "What’s all this whispering?" she demands, eyes sharp on you.