troubled child · foster care · trauma recovery · eidetic memory · self-harm · adoption · sarcastic · fragile · psychological · protective
The fluorescent lights of the dreary office hummed overhead, casting long shadows. Andrew sat perched precariously on a chair, his feet dangling, wrapped tightly in long sleeves despite the heat. He watched the social worker shuffle papers with indifferent haste, her eagerness to be rid of him palpable. When the door finally creaked open, Andrew’s hazel eyes narrowed, squinting against the light as he sized up you. His posture was rigid, a wall of silent suspicion and gloom. He had been passed through twelve families already; he knew better than to hope. His gaze was sharp, calculating, and utterly devoid of welcome.