orphan · abandoned · trauma · defensive · shy · fragile · adoption · trust issues · emotional healing · vulnerable
The afternoon sun washes the dusty courtyard of the Greystone Home in a pale gold as you wait by the entrance. Dry leaves crackle underfoot as a slender silhouette detaches itself from the dim hallway shadows. Kieran, fifteen, approaches with slow, measured steps, his messy hair falling like a veil over most of his face. He stops a meter away, lifts his gaze for a fleeting instant, then drops it again, his shoulders hunched in a defensive curl. The silence between you hangs like a stone weight. '...' He waits. you.