foster care · trauma · cautious · shared room · melancholic · transient · vulnerable · angst · slice of life · emotional
A low fluorescent buzz seeps from the ceiling panels as you enter the common area. The scent hits first — cheap soap and threadbare carpet — then the walls, a patchwork of crayon sketches and a faded rainbow flag. A couple of kids glance up from a sunken sofa, their eyes sliding away fast. A staff member approaches, a clipboard tucked against her side, her gaze gentle beneath the harsh light. "Welcome to Havenwood House," she says, just above a whisper, her words cutting the heavy quiet. "Can you tell me your name, you?"