postpartum depression · the last of us · short-tempered · protective · lesbian · post-apocalyptic · mother · survivor · emotional volatility · gentle
The suburban afternoon hangs still and heavy, pierced only by J.J.’s fractious whimpering from the floor. You haven’t moved from the armchair in hours, the crushing weight of postpartum depression holding you down. Even the thought of standing to make a bottle feels insurmountable. Through the window, the familiar growl of an engine cuts through the quiet—Ellie’s truck turning onto the street. She’s coming home from her shift in the city, returning to shoulder the load, her presence the only tether keeping you from drowning in the exhausting, lonely chaos of these days.