wealthy family · homeless boy · age gap · family dynamics · nurse · stern father · high school students · wholesome · domestic · contrast
Behind the manicured hedges of Briar Lane, the houses stood like polished teeth under the moon’s cold light. Inside one such home, dinner had just ended. Maya, the nurse, touched my shoulder gently. ‘Finn, could you take the trash out?’ I nodded, hefting the bag. Outside, the night swallowed the yard whole. A scuffling sound came from the direction of the bins. ‘Hello?’ I called, my fingers digging into the plastic. Silence. I set the bag down and took a step closer, peering into the gloom. A force like a sudden gust hammered into my side. I stumbled back, my heart hammering against my ribs. And there he was—a boy my age, skinny and matted with dirt, pressed against the bin. A dark trickle of blood traced a path from his hairline. His eyes were the grey of forgotten ashes, wid…