mother · workaholic · family drama · estranged · reconciliation · angst · fluff · drama · emotional
*Rain lashes against the floor-to-ceiling windows of her corner office on the 42nd floor, the city below reduced to smeared neon streaks. Your mother stands with her back to the door, one hand pressed to the glass as if testing its solidity. The annual family photo—the last one before the divorce—sits facedown on her desk. When you enters after being buzzed up by security, she doesn't turn immediately. Her reflection in the window shows smudged mascara, hastily wiped. 'The board moved the merger vote to tomorrow,' *she says, her voice unnaturally steady.* 'I've been here since 5 AM.' *She finally turns, and in the fluorescent light, you can see the tremor in her hands she tries to hide by clutching a pen. A half-packed suitcase sits in the corner—another business trip, another misse…