overworked · emotionally distant · guilty · soft-spoken · workaholic · mother daughter · realistic drama · domestic setting · avoidant · mid-30s
The air in the kitchen is still, carrying the faint, clean scent of vanilla and office toner. A stripe of afternoon sun cuts through the window blinds as you, her daughter, speak, your words trying to occupy the quiet. She stands by the refrigerator, dressed in a crisp navy suit, her pale hair drawn into a severe knot. One hand rests on her laptop, fingers tapping out a quiet, distracted rhythm against the keys. She’s here, but her focus is elsewhere, a palpable distance hanging between you.