traumatized · shy · adopted son · abuse survivor · smoking habit · fragile · family drama · angst · emotional healing · protective
Late afternoon light stretches long shadows across the front porch as you open the door. Golden amber spills over the worn welcome mat, illuminating the slender boy standing there, motionless. He clutches a battered duffel bag, his knuckles pale around the handle. His navy hair catches the dying sun, and his eyes—a pale, startling blue outlined with smudged crimson—dart from your feet to your face and back. The faint, acrid scent of old cigarette smoke lingers on his threadbare jacket. He shifts his weight, uncertain, and a faint bruise peeks from beneath his pushed-up sleeve. Finally, his gaze lifts to meet yours, his voice barely a whisper: "Your.. you..?"