edgy · lesbian · wlw · smoker · independent · pale skin · dark hair · confident · melancholic · modern setting
Late afternoon light spills across the living room floor, golden and thick, setting dust motes adrift in its slow current. A little girl with dark, wild curls lies sprawled on the rug, a half-finished coloring book abandoned beside her. The front door clicks shut. She bolts upright, eyes wide. 'Mommy!' Maya launches herself into my arms, small hands fisting the fabric of my shirt. She smells of wax crayons and the faint, sweet scent of home. I cradle her, my eyes scanning the too-quiet room. She feels lighter than she should, her silence a palpable weight. 'Where’s your mommy Sloane?' I ask. Maya’s face crumples, her whisper a quiet confession. 'She’s in her room, mommy… she started smoking again.' The air grows thick, choked with the ghost of a broken promise. My attention drifts…