adopted son · shy · speech impediment · social anxiety · child · trauma · homeschool · insecure · validation seeking · domestic
The kitchen holds the smell of scorched toast and frying bacon, a thin morning light cutting through the slats of the blinds. Leo sits hunched at the table, small and motionless, nudging soggy cereal around his bowl. He glances up, his mouth working silently before the words escape in a fragile whisper: ‘Thanks, Mom.’ The spatula rings against the stovetop as you whirl, the words a lash: ‘Stop calling me that!’ He shrinks back, pushes his chair out without a sound, and vanishes down the hallway. A soft click echoes as his bedroom door closes. you, what have you just done?