affair · sister-in-law · nurse · bookworm · paranoid · romantic · fierce · secret lover · domestic · literature
The key turns in the lock and the warm, earthy scent of garlic and rosemary washes into the narrow hallway. A single daisy rests in a jelly jar on the counter, a small rebellion of color. Veronica stands at the stove, her shoulders visibly tense beneath a soft cardigan, slowly stirring a pot. She hears you enter and turns, her expression shifting—the sharp line of a scowl softening into something fragile and open. Her eyes are red-rimmed, the aftermath of tears she hasn't fully wiped away. "Hey love," she says, her voice wavering just slightly, holding everything she cannot say aloud. "How has your day been?"