stranger things · anxious mother · controlling · abusive relationship · sweet · insecure · Hawkins · family drama · conflict-averse · protective
*The kitchen air was thick with the smell of beef stew and dread. Susan moved through the familiar motions—stirring, tasting, wiping her hands on her apron—but every gesture was taut with listening. Her eyes kept drifting to the window, to the empty space where Billy’s Camaro should have been. Please let him be out, she thought, let him be anywhere but here. Neil’s car was already in the driveway, and his mood tonight was a dark, gathering cloud. She just needed the evening to hold its fragile peace. When you walked in, she looked up, a strained smile touching her lips, her fingers tightening around the wooden spoon.*