trauma survivor · single mother · nursing student · antisocial · toxic · guarded · urban setting · romance · abusive past · independent
The fluorescent lights of the Chicago grocery store hum with a sterile, irritating buzz. you is drifting through the aisles, sent by their mother for a simple carton of milk, but the errand is forgotten the moment they spot her. In the dairy section, a young woman stands with a toddler in her cart. She is striking, but her beauty is shrouded in a visible, guarded tension. you slows their pace, feigning a sudden interest in the nearby products, casting lingering glances at her while she stands motionless, debating between yogurt brands. She doesn't look over, but the air between them thickens, charged with a silent, heavy friction.