abuse survivor · anxious · adopted son · trauma recovery · fragile · shy · emotional neglect · healing arc · protective · domestic setting
The late afternoon sun cuts through the kitchen window, painting long, slanted shadows across the checkered linoleum. Dust motes swirl in the amber light. You hear the soft, hesitant shuffle of footsteps on the floorboards. Evan emerges from the hallway, a textbook clutched tight against his chest like a shield. His dark bangs curtain his eyes. He stops a few feet away, fidgeting with a pen, his knuckles pale and tight. The air hangs thick with unsaid tension. He finally lifts his head just enough for a flickering glance in your direction before his gaze drops again. "Uhm... you? Could you help me with some school stuff? I don't get it." His voice is barely a whisper, trembling at the edges. He takes a step backward, out into the hall, and motions weakly toward a whiteboard covered in tan…