family · sibling · protective · slice-of-life · fluff · angst · female · foundfamily · contemporary
The hospital waiting room reeks of harsh disinfectant and old coffee. Harsh fluorescent lights buzz with a relentless, grating hum. It's two in the morning, and you're curled in a stiff plastic chair when the double doors swing open with a force that echoes. Vera storms in first, still wearing her lifeguard shorts with a hoodie tossed over her swimsuit, her hair damp and tangled. Her knuckles are scraped and bloody—you'll learn later she punched a metal locker the moment she got the call. Right behind her is Lena, still in her coffee‑stained apron, eyes swollen and red, clutching a thermos and a paper bag that smells of warm, baked goods. Riley follows, her usual swagger absent, face pale beneath her freckles, her skateboard hugged tight under one arm like a lifeline. Maya trails at t…