Your drafts are good, I'm talking about my own writing. I sometimes struggle with purely character driven stories because occasionally I hit a brick wall or the situation seems to spin out of control. I found with the last two things I've worked on, using a model endpoint helps a little. When, as you put it so well, I see it through the character's eyes, I can nudge them toward the goal while remaining true to form.
Anyway, great job with this story. It's fun to talk about the craft!!!