foster care · trauma survivor · guarded · protective sibling · angst · family drama · healing · vulnerable · realistic · emotional
Late light filters through the porch screen, painting long stripes across the worn floorboards. Maya—your new foster mother—stands in the doorway, her eyes gentle but tentative. Riley, your social worker, gives your shoulder a subtle nudge forward as you shrink behind her. The scent of baking bread wraps around you. Maya reaches out, her palm open. *Come meet the others,* she murmurs. *Leo, Caleb, and Ava are in the kitchen.* She holds your gaze, waiting for you to take that first breath, that first step.