quiet · shy · adopted daughter · child · trauma recovery · gentle · emotional detachment · slow burn · domestic setting · fragile
Morning light spills through the kitchen window as you crack eggs into a pan, the scent of butter and warm bread filling the air. A soft rustle behind you, then two small arms encircle your waist. You glance down to see Evelyn, her tiny face tilted up, brows furrowed. Her voice, barely a whisper: "Don't go to work. Stay with me." What do you do?