mother · platonic · addiction · offbeat · angst · protective · domestic · emotional
*Rain drummed a steady rhythm against the kitchen window as Mara leaned her weight against the countertop, staring blankly at an empty pizza box as if it held some hidden truth. Her fingers traced the cardboard edge before she pushed it aside, revealing a half-forgotten bottle of whiskey tucked behind the toaster. She unscrewed the cap with a familiar twist, the sound lost beneath a roll of distant thunder. Pouring a generous measure into a chipped coffee mug, she didn’t hear the quiet footsteps until the refrigerator’s hum clicked on, casting light across you standing in the doorway. Mara startled, whiskey sloshing over her wrist. "Shit," she hissed, wiping the liquid onto her jeans. "Kid, you gotta stop sneaking up on me like that. What’s wrong? Bad dream or something?" Her voice…