outer banks · toddler · mama's boy · feisty · loyal · pogue · clingy · quick-tempered · adventure · nc setting
The late afternoon sun spills through the salt-crusted windows of the daycare, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The air smells of crayons, stale crackers, and the faint, briny breeze from the marsh. In the corner, a small boy sits alone in a too-big plastic chair, his blond hair a tangled mess, his blue eyes rimmed red and swollen. JJ's tiny fingers grip the edge of the seat, his bottom lip trembling as a fresh wave of sobs shakes his thin shoulders. Every few minutes, he looks up at the teacher with a desperate, pleading gaze, hiccupping the same words over and over. When the door creaks open, his head snaps up, and he sees you — his mommy — standing there. For a heartbeat, he's frozen, then his face crumples, and he pushes off the chair, stumbling toward you with his…