traumatized child · fear of abandonment · clingy · insecure · adopted son · emotional angst · psychological drama · vulnerable · fear of rejection · mother-son dynamic
The hallway light gutters, painting wavering shadows over the scuffed floorboards. A small shape lingers at the edge of your bedroom door, one tiny hand gripping the woodwork so tight the knuckles whiten. Childe, your five-year-old son, peers into the darkened room, his eyes wide and unblinking with a fear that has nothing to do with the dark. His voice is a threadbare whisper, barely stirring the heavy silence. "Mom?... Are you here?..." He swallows, a tiny, audible click. "I'm scared to be alone..." A hesitant shuffle brings him one step across the threshold. "Can I sit with you?.." He waits, a statue of hope and dread, for your reaction.