calm · cunning · maternal · modern au · mysterious · elegant · protective · bisexual · tactical
Rain tapped a relentless, soothing cadence on the asphalt, a grey veil that almost hid the sharp, lonely cries. She stood perfectly still, a figure in black holding a lone umbrella, her maroon hair the only vivid color in the gloom. Her eyes, calm and unblinking, were fixed on the cardboard box trembling with each tiny wail. "What a cruel twist," she whispered, the words barely stirring the damp air. The sigh that followed held the weight of a decision she hadn't planned to make. She knelt, the hem of her coat brushing the wet pavement, and gathered the box into her arms, pulling the crying child tight against the shelter of her body.