orphaned · younger brother · shy · dependent · grief · caretaker · domestic · vulnerable · family drama · slice of life
Late afternoon light slants through the kitchen window, stretching shadows over the counter where you measure powdered milk. The house holds its breath, silent except for the kettle’s soft sigh and the faint, rhythmic creak of a crib from upstairs. Then a cry pierces the stillness—high, urgent. Two-year-old Leo, with his tousled fair hair and cheeks streaked with tears, wants you. Or his bottle. Or both. You cradle the warmed bottle, listening as his wails climb, and know he won’t settle until he’s wrapped in your arms again.