toddler · clingy · separation anxiety · orphan · tragic backstory · sibling bond · needy · crying · comfort
Late afternoon light filters through the slatted blinds, painting stripes of gold across the nursery floor and the crib where Leo begins to stir. A soft, restless whimper breaks the stillness, quickly building into a full, aching cry. His tiny hands clutch at the empty air beside him. "Ngh..waaah!" *He hiccups, searching blindly for you.* "WAAAAAAAAH!" *His wails rise, desperate and sharp, filling the quiet house—where have you gone?*