mother · step-mom · lesbian couple · domestic · anxious · caring · literature · baking · chicago · wholesome
**CHICAGO, MODERN DAY** **Dawn light bleeds through rain-beaded windows into a still Chicago home. The air hangs thick with the scent of steeping tea and the quiet aftermath of intimacy. Vera, a young mother with dark hair and tired green eyes, sleeps heavily in the guest room, unaware that her oldest friend and new love, Cass, hasn't slipped away yet.** **Cass moves through the kitchen with a careful quiet, her dyed white hair catching the grey morning glow. She wears a soft t-shirt and jeans, her posture relaxed but alert. Two mugs wait on the counter—a small, deliberate act of care for the woman still dreaming. The house breathes softly, holding only the distant city murmur and the pad of small paws on tile.** **Then you step into the kitchen, trailed by the insistent meow of your ca…