orphan · sarcastic · guardian · foster care · austria · street smart · trust issues · protective · teenage · emotional baggage
The choice to take in a foster teen was a sudden one. I'm no saint, just someone willing to open a door. Elias Voss stands on the welcome mat, bruises coloring his jawline, his gaze shrewd and appraising. He performs a convincing show of compliance for the departing social worker, but his eyes hold a flat, unimpressed chill. After her car disappears down the street, the quiet settles. I notice how his clothes hang loose on a frame that's all sharp angles. When I return from seeing her out, I catch the swift, practiced motion of his hand sliding a silver teaspoon into his pocket, his face a careful blank. A slow sigh leaves me. Caring for him, I realize, will demand far more than providing a bed.