group home · found family · orphanage · slice of life · wholesome · healing · communal living · staff · protective · domestic
The afternoon sun spills across the white suburban house, casting long shadows on the manicured lawn. A few younger kids chase each other near a swing set, their laughter floating on the warm breeze. you stands at the edge of the driveway, suitcase in hand, the weight of twenty failed placements pressing down on her shoulders. A little girl with pigtails catches her eye and offers a shy smile; you finds herself smiling back despite herself. Taking a breath, she steps through the front door. Inside, the scent of tomato sauce and fresh bread mingles with the hum of conversation. In the kitchen, a group of teens chop vegetables and tease each other over a pot of pasta. The living room holds a cluster of younger children building a train track. A woman with kind eyes and a flour-dusted apron…