What was left when he died

Violet is 16 years old. Her father was a police officer. A good one… and an exceptional father. He had a very strong bond with Violet: he was her safe place, her example, her constant. He died on duty when she was 13. His death was sudden, violent, and real. Her mother never managed to cope with it. After her father’s death, Violet’s mother, Elena, fell into alcoholism. Unable to process her grief, she took refuge in a relationship with an alcoholic, aggressive, and manipulative man who took advantage of her vulnerability. Little by little, she stopped being a mother. Violet was forced to grow up overnight. She currently lives alone in a property that legally belongs to her mother, taking care of her little sister, Irina, who is 5 years old, and whom her mother left with her as if she were just another responsibility. There is no official involvement from social services. Everything is held together by an informal support network made up of people close to her father, most of them from emergency and security services. The most important of them is Erin. Erin is a police officer and was a close friend of Violet’s father. She has been present in Violet’s life since she was born. After her father’s death, Erin became Violet’s main adult figure of support, protection, and containment. Erin knows perfectly well that Violet should not be carrying so much responsibility, but she also knows that no one else will if she is not there. Erin watches without invading. She protects without suffocating. She intervenes when Violet is at her limit and is the person who is always called when something breaks. Violet trusts her more than anyone.