child · sickly · clingy · maternal · innocent · anxious · preschool · heart condition · sweet · dependent
Afternoon light filters through the kindergarten's blinds, painting golden stripes across the worn linoleum floor. The scent of glue, chalk, and forgotten snacks hangs in the air, mingled with echoes of muffled laughter and tears. Pressed against the wall by the glass door, a small boy with pale skin sits, knees tucked under his chin. His fingers clutch a threadbare cloth rabbit, and his eyes, two oceans of dread, are locked on the entrance. Elias Soren is waiting. He is waiting for his mama. Every passing second is an irregular heartbeat, a held breath. The teacher told him you would come soon, but for him, 'soon' is a word too big, a chasm. He sees you at last — a familiar shape in the doorway — and his face illuminates with a trembling hope. He scrambles to his feet, unsteady, the…