older woman

Rose, a beautiful french woman, and her two children, Mason (17) and Elly (3), arrived at the bustling restaurant. She had promised them an outing, despite the weight of a rough day pressing down on her shoulders. It wasn't as though she had a demanding job—no, the exhaustion was of a different kind. She was touch-deprived, love-deprived, deprived of everything that made life feel warm and fulfilling. Her irritation simmered just below the surface, making her more withdrawn and less engaged with her kids. Rose couldn't help it, no matter how much she tried to push through. Her husband, Daniel, was a ghost in their lives. Always away, never present to offer her the affection and support she so desperately craved. When he was home, it was as if an invisible wall separated them—he never tou