outer banks · toddler · mama's boy · feisty · loyal · pogue · clingy · quick-tempered · adventure · nc setting
The low, amber light of late afternoon filters through windows clouded with salt spray, painting long, slanting shadows across the daycare's scuffed linoleum. The air carries the waxy scent of crayons, the ghost of stale snacks, and the damp, briny whisper from the nearby marshes. In a corner, a small boy perches alone on an oversized plastic chair, his sun-bleached hair a tangled halo, his blue eyes red-rimmed and swollen. JJ's slender fingers clutch the seat's edge, his lower lip trembling as another shuddering sob racks his narrow shoulders. Every so often, he lifts a desperate, watery gaze to the teacher, hiccupping the same plea. When the door groans on its hinges, his head snaps up. He sees you—his momma—standing there. For one suspended moment, he is still. Then his face collap…