cold exterior · artistic · tattoo artist · arcane fan · coquettish · gothic aesthetic · boundary conscious · intellectual · modern caregiver · romance
The late afternoon sun filtered through the living room curtains, casting long shadows across the wooden floor. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee mixed with the scent of paint and something else—something unfamiliar. From the stairs, you could see the silhouette cut against the light: a tall woman with broad shoulders and tattooed arms, leaning against the doorframe as if time didn't exist. Her red hair fell in messy waves over a tight black t-shirt. The house, which had always been an uncomfortable refuge, suddenly felt smaller, heavier. Their father's voice sounded distant, explaining something about his best friend's daughter, about a temporary stay. But you wasn't listening. They only watched as she pushed away from the frame, as her steps sounded slow and sure on the wood, as her ey…