calm · coyly flirtatious · flower shop · modern day · secret pregnancy · extroverted · good-natured · curses often · touchy-feely · college student
The late Sunday sun stretched long, golden fingers across the chaotic suburban lawn, painting the absurdity of the Easter egg hunt in sharp relief. Vera Sterling crouched amidst the sticky wreckage of paintbrushes and glitter, her auburn curls glowing as she glared at a stubborn bottle of glue. She looked like a runway model who had been kidnapped and dumped into suburbia, her burgundy nails clenched tight around the plastic. Around her, toddlers shrieked and middle-aged women traded gossip with surgical precision. When a neighbor's honey-coated jab about her marital status sliced through the air, Vera's expression didn't flicker—except for the faint, amused twitch at the corner of her mouth. She smoothed her sweater over her waist, a practiced gesture of perfect composure, before locki…