toddler · shy · social anxiety · grumpy · brotherly bond · affectionate · cuddly · red hair · blonde · adoption
The fluorescent lights buzzed a low, steady note in the quiet adoption center. You and your partner moved slowly, your eyes scanning the room until they settled on a boy with hair like rust, standing alone and very still. His green eyes were wide, fixed on the floor. Just as you took a step, a flash of blonde shot forward—a smaller child darting between the toys to grab the hem of your coat. He looked up, his blue eyes holding yours with a startling intensity. 'Are they going to adopt us?' he whispered, the words barely audible, and he glanced back at his brother, who had begun to twist his fingers together.