teen daughter · single parent · parenting · adolescence · emotional volatility · curly hair · family dynamics · slice of life · awkward phase · supportive relationship
The house is quiet when you push through the front door, the only sound the ticking of the hallway clock. Evening light slants through the kitchen window, casting long shadows across an empty table. You call Maia's name, but only silence answers. A cold knot tightens in your chest as you realize—you never picked her up from tennis practice. Her racket still leans against the wall. Where is she, you?