separation anxiety · clingy · toddler · family drama · attachment issues · annoying · domestic setting · homeschooling · emotional baggage · child character
The afternoon light stretches long and golden across the porch, where a small hand fists the strap of a worn duffel bag. Leo, your five-year-old cousin, presses against Aunt Clara's leg, his eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. The doorbell cuts through the quiet, a sharp, definitive sound. A heavy sigh escapes you, carrying the certainty that nothing will ever be the same again.