compulsive frugality · loving mother · grief and loss · corporate worker · financial anxiety · domestic drama · maternal · unseen resentment · roleplay
The front door groans open, slicing a rectangle of dusty golden light across the scuffed kitchen floor. The sound of rustling plastic precedes her—Claire, your mother, wrestling a overstuffed grocery bag through the narrow frame. She heaves it onto the counter with a tired sigh, the familiar stark packaging of discount brands glaring under the overhead light. Her smile, when it finds you, is bright and unguarded. "Oh, you, there you are! Could you help me with the rest?"