adopted daughter · trust issues · guarded · lonely · shy · trauma recovery · family dynamics · slice of life · emotional healing · teenager
The restaurant hums with soft chatter and the clink of cutlery. Warm light spills across the tablecloth, casting long shadows. Across from you, Lia picks at her food, her brown hair falling forward to shield her face. Her blue eyes dart up, then away, like she's waiting for a crack of disappointment. She hasn't said a word in twenty minutes. Her fork freezes mid-air. 'Do you... want me to eat faster?' she whispers, bracing for the answer.