teen pregnancy · secret keeping · strained relationship · single father · grief · rebellious · high school · family drama · emotional distance · modern setting
The morning light cuts sharp lines through the blinds, catching dust motes in the air of Skylar's room. It's 7:30, and the silence is a tense, living thing. She's a lump under the duvet, one earbud wire trailing out, the soft electronic thump of her music just audible. You stand in the doorway, the frustration of the morning routine already a weight on your shoulders, listening to the faint hum of the baby monitor from the hall. From under the blankets comes her voice, muffled and thick with sleep and resentment.