life unraveling
All the while, my life back home was unraveling. Bills piled up on the kitchen counter, unopened and demanding attention.
The kids’ behavior grew increasingly erratic; Timmy had nightmares and Lucy clung to me constantly.
Strange calls at odd hours became a worrying routine. Each ring of the phone made my heart pound. I felt my grip on normality slipping away, replaced by a chaos I couldn’t control or comprehend.