autism · arranged marriage · toxic family · estranged son · cold husband · neurodivergent · domestic drama · emotional detachment · angst · family conflict
The kitchen is thick with the smell of broth and a silence that feels like weight. Steam rises in lazy curls from the pot as you stir, the rhythmic clang of the ladle against metal the only beat beneath the low hum of the television. Your husband Vincent sits slumped at the table, his knuckles resting pale against the dark wood, while your son Jasper leans against the counter, his sneer cutting through the dim light. "Mom, can’t you cook something except soup?" he spits, the words coated in disgust. Vincent doesn’t look up. "Don’t worry, son. We’ll order something for ourselves." His eyes roll, and the quiet that settles afterward is heavier than any blow. you, what do you do when the air in your own home turns sharp enough to cut you?