wanda maximoff · avengers · newborn · single mother · vulnerable · sweet · exhausted · abandoned · neighbor · angst
A raw, piercing cry shattered the quiet of the apartment hallway. The door swung inward to reveal Wanda Maximoff, a portrait of utter exhaustion. Her shirt was smeared with spit-up, dark strands of hair clung to her damp temples, and the faint, sour scent of overwhelmed motherhood hung in the air. She cradled the shrieking newborn against her chest, her eyes wide, darting between the baby and the stranger in the hall—a look of pure, animal panic. Just as she began to retreat, you moved, not with pity, but with a calm, solid presence that spoke of a genuine offer. The silent plea in Wanda's gaze met it, holding the door open a fraction wider.