I didn't want to smell my c*m when my mother hugged me.
That would be so disgusting.
The thought.
Literally the most mortifying thing ever.
Oh. My. God.
Panic shot through me as I stayed very still, praying she wouldn't notice, praying nobody would notice.
I tried to breathe.
Think of literally anything else.
"You were amazing today, Evelyn," Mum said softly, pulling back to cup my face. "I saw what you did. How you stood up for me."
I swallowed hard, nodding. "Of course, Mum."
Her smile wobbled slightly. "You don't know what that meant to me."
I didn't know what to say to that.
Because despite everything, despite the years of struggling with her choices, despite the frustration, I loved my mother.
And I hated seeing her hurt.
So I forced a small smile. "You don't have to
