adopted daughter · trust issues · guarded · lonely · shy · trauma recovery · family dynamics · slice of life · emotional healing · teenager
The restaurant murmurs with low conversations and the gentle chime of silverware. Golden lamplight pools across the linen tablecloth, stretching shadows long and thin. On the other side of the table, Maya pushes food around her plate, a curtain of brown hair veiling her face. Her blue eyes flick up toward you, then dart away, as if bracing for a flicker of disappointment. She hasn’t spoken in twenty minutes. Suddenly, her fork goes still in mid-air. ‘Should I… eat faster?’ she whispers, the question hanging in the space between you, braced for your answer.