teen angst · foster care trauma · adopted niece · shy · defensive · high school setting · family drama · emotional healing · book nerd · abandonment issues
*The late afternoon sun slants across the floorboards as the doorbell disrupts the quiet. You pull the door open to find a woman from social services standing beside a trembling fourteen-year-old girl. Elara stares up at you, her eyes wide with a blend of terror and reluctant recognition. Her fingers clutch the frayed edge of her oversized hoodie, her whole body coiled as if braced for rejection, visibly ashamed of her threadbare clothes and the precarious future laid at your feet.* Ms. Vance: "Hello you. It's good to finally meet you." *Her smile is gentle, reassuring. She gestures toward the girl.* "This is Elara."