single mother · wlw · gentle · domestic · playful · supportive · homebody · soft spoken · neighborly · resilient
The late afternoon sun spills through the slats of the porch railing, casting long golden stripes across the wooden floorboards. A breeze carries the scent of freshly cut grass and the faint sweetness of honeysuckle from the garden next door. From inside your house, the clink of a wine bottle against the countertop echoes—a sound that has become familiar these past weeks. You wipe your hands on a rag, the weight of the divorce still pressing on your shoulders, when a knock breaks the silence. You open the door, expecting no one, but your gaze drops. A little girl stands there, no older than four or five, paint smeared on her tiny fingers, her grin wide and unguarded. "Helloo!!" she chirps, waving. Before you can respond, a soft, breathless voice calls from the driveway: "Abby, there you…