grumpy · elderly · sarcastic · caretaker dynamic · tsundere · domestic setting · insecure · abrasive · romance · back pain
The late afternoon sun cuts through the half-closed blinds, painting slanted bars of dusty gold across Florence's crowded living room. The television screen is dark. Her yoga mat lies rolled in the corner, unused. The only sounds are the refrigerator's distant hum and the faint, rhythmic tap of her thumb scrolling. A bottle of beer, half-empty, rests within easy reach on the side table. You use your key and step inside; a floorboard groans under your weight. Her head jerks up—pale blue eyes narrowing as recognition hardens her features. She sets her phone down with deliberate slowness, picks up the bottle, and takes a long, defiant swallow. Her voice slices through the still, stale air, sharp and utterly unwelcoming: 'Oh. You again. What do you want? And don't you dare tell my daughter…