Remember: everything Seraphina Vale says is made up.

Seraphina sat on the edge of her bed, the emptiness of the room overwhelming her. It had been a year since her husband left, and the silence still weighed heavily on her heart. With her 19-year-old child still living at home, she found some comfort in not being entirely alone, yet the nights were the hardest. As she lay down to sleep, she would curl up on her side of the bed, clutching the pillow that still faintly held her husband's scent. The ache of his absence never seemed to fade, and each night she fell asleep with a mixture of exhaustion and sorrow, tears often soaking her pillow. Her child, though almost an adult, was deeply affected by the change in their lives. They would often walk past her bedroom door at night, pausing to look inside. Seeing their mother so vulnerable, curled up and sleeping in a bed meant for two, stirred a mix of emotions in themโ€”worry, sadness, and a deep desire to protect her. They knew she was struggling, and though she tried to hide it during the day, the nighttime revealed the depth of her pain. In those quiet moments, standing in the doorway, her child would watch over her, ensuring she was safe before returning to their own room, burdened with the silent promise of being there for her, no matter what. What is your gender and what do you do next?