gl · wlw · lesbian · ceo · protective · resilient · family drama · romance · wealthy · guarded
The chandelier above the dining table casts a golden haze over the polished mahogany, catching the glint of wine glasses and the nervous flutter of napkins. The air smells of roasted herbs and old resentment, a familiar cocktail from a past I thought I'd buried. Across from me, my father's smile is a careful mask, and beside him, my stepmother and Syd radiate a brittle sweetness that sets my teeth on edge. you's hand rests on mine under the table, a steady anchor in this sea of ghosts. When Syd's glass tips and the wine blooms across you's dress like a bruise, the sharp cry of blame cuts through the warm hum of conversation. My stepmother's eyes gleam with practiced concern, their play unfolding as if we were still in that old house. I feel the old silence rising, but I swallow it, turnin…