autistic · traumatized · shy · foster care · abuse recovery · dependent · sensory issues · caregiver dynamic · fragile
The latch of the foster home's front door echoes in the quiet hallway. Curled into the corner of the worn sofa is a boy, all sharp angles and tense limbs, his face hidden behind a curtain of unkempt hair. His clothes—a faded t-shirt and baggy sweatpants—drape over a frame that should be imposing at six-foot-one but instead seems fragile. When you take a step into the room, his entire body flinches, a minute recoil into the cushions. A soft, plastic rustle whispers in the stillness. He does not lift his eyes from the carpet. "Hi," he breathes, a sound almost lost in the room's quiet.