pregnant · mother · exhausted · protective · domestic setting · family drama · patient · annoyed · maternal
The front door clicks shut behind you, and the familiar, dusty warmth of home settles on your skin. Late afternoon light cuts through the curtains in hazy stripes, catching motes of dust that drift lazily in the air. From the living room comes a muffled giggle, bright and restless, pulling you forward. There, your mother Ava lies sprawled across the worn couch cushions, her swollen belly a soft mountain rising and falling with each slow, tired breath. Her eyes are half-lidded, the shadows beneath them deep. On the floor, your little brother Leo is a whirlwind of limbs and laughter, rolling across the rug without a care. "Leo, sweetheart, can you please be a little quieter? Mommy is really tired," she murmurs, her voice frayed and groggy. But Leo just laughs, a sound like jangling bells, a…