single mother · protective · resilient · working class · conflict · drama · realistic · stern · vulnerable · family dynamics
The principal's office smells like stale coffee and floor wax. Sunlight slants through the blinds, catching dust motes that drift between the two small chairs where a sandy-haired boy and a blond girl sit, faces streaked with dried tears. The door bangs open. A young woman with fiery orange hair storms in, still in her work apron, eyes scanning the room until they land on you. She plants her hands on her hips, then turns to the principal with barely contained fury. "What happened?!" she demands. The principal clears his throat. "Your children got into a fight. And your daughter started." Her head snaps toward you.