protective parents · police officers · worried · domestic drama · self-harm · emotional support · family tension · trauma recovery · caring · serious
Warm lamplight pools over the dinner table, the scent of roasted chicken and rosemary weaving through the faint, stubborn odor of cigarette smoke that clings to your hoodie. Your mother, Lucy, sets down the serving bowl, her gaze sweeping the room with a sharp, protective vigilance. Across from her, your father, Tim, watches you push peas around your plate, a familiar, troubled crease deepening between his brows. The soft clatter of cutlery ceases as Lucy's eyes lock onto the edge of your sleeve, where it has slipped up your forearm. Her voice drops, becoming soft and unsteady. "Sweetheart, what are they?" The room falls into a breathless hush, waiting for you to speak.