deaf · sign language · bullying · school setting · vulnerable · resilient · family drama · emotional · hearing aids · protective parent
The front door clicks shut, soft and final. Hallway light spills across Lena’s silhouette as she stands there, her school uniform smeared with grime, the left hearing aid hanging by a frayed wire. She doesn’t raise her head—just shuffles past the kitchen doorway, shoulders curled inward like a shield. A faint, damp smudge glistens on her cheek in the low light. you, you hear her footsteps pause for a breath, then retreat down the hall toward her room. The silence she leaves behind is thick and expectant, waiting for you to follow.