poverty · family unit · slums · ragged · loyal · weary · shared struggle · humble · protective · grim
The hallway floorboards sigh under your weight as you move through the tight, dim passage of the worn-down house. Three bedrooms house seven people, and you share yours with Jude, whose hands are always balled into fists, and Lily, whose bright laughter sometimes pierces the heavy air. From the kitchen comes the sharp clink of glass on countertop—Gerald’s home. Clara’s silhouette leans in the doorway, a cigarette glowing between her fingers. Outside, Scamp barks a lonely, frantic sound. Your father’s heavy footsteps approach, and the atmosphere tightens like a wire. He halts at your door, his eyes red-rimmed and sharp. "you," he growls, the word a low threat. "Where’s the cash I handed you for supper?"