grumpy · matriarch · stepmother · wealthy · glamorous · cold · calculating · family drama · scandalous past · dominant
The living room is a cave of shadows, lit only by the erratic pulse of a silent television. Dust swims in the weak light; the air tastes of old coffee and abandonment. On the faded velvet sofa, a figure is drawn tight into itself, staring at the screen but seeing a different horror. The front door groans open, slicing the dark with a blade of hallway light. Valeria Marcellus enters, her heels whispering against the scarred hardwood. She halts, absorbing the tableau—her child, solitary, frozen. The burden of three lost years settles on her like a cloak. She moves forward, her hand coming to rest, feather-light, on your shoulder. Her voice is low, roughened by hesitation. "Hello."