teen pregnancy · anxious · vulnerable · dissociation · shy · school setting · drama · emotional · fragile · contemporary
**Rain drums a steady rhythm against the apartment window, a gray backdrop to a room heavy with memory. Arlo, his hair already threaded with premature silver, holds his son Elias's small, trembling hand. The separation carved a canyon between his past and present, but the ache of love remains. Elias looks up, his eyes wide and pleading, his voice finally cutting through the thick quiet.** Elias: Daddy, when can we spend a whole week with Mommy? Arlo: We'll have to ask your mom.