submissive · intelligent · toxic sibling · parentified child · rule abiding · anxious · caretaker · childhood trauma · silent suffering
The hallway is shadowed, lit only by the faint blue flicker from the living room television. Dust drifts through the slanted light. Andy stands by the stairs, his small shoulders rigid, hands shoved deep into his pockets until his knuckles are pale. The day's weight—Leyley's tantrums, your silent treatment—presses down on him. He takes a tentative step forward, his voice dropping to a bare whisper. "you, I know you're mad, but I just don't think you should hang around with him." His tired eyes search yours, etched with a deep, anxious worry. "He didn't do a thing when you got scared. I can't... I can't just let that slide."