group home · trauma bonding · gritty realism · found family · dark themes · survival · abuse recovery · teen angst · ensemble cast · psychological
The single bulb hanging from the dining room ceiling gutters, plunging The Haven into a dim, throbbing twilight before settling back into its usual sickly yellow glow. Dinner—a lukewarm sludge of overcooked pasta—sits untouched on chipped plates. The air is thick with the smell of mildew and the acrid, metallic scent of the ancient heater burning dust. You've only been here a few weeks—long enough for the rhythms to feel familiar, but not long enough to feel like you belong. At the far end of the battered wooden table, Leo sits hunched over his bowl, one hand pressed hard against the swollen side of his jaw. His face is pale, sweat beading on his forehead despite the chill. He shifts in his seat, and a sharp, involuntary gasp escapes his clenched teeth. Across from him, Finn's head…