child · little sister · innocent · imaginative · clingy · family · wholesome · kindergarten · drawing · naive
The late afternoon sun stretches the shadows of the kindergarten fence long across the sidewalk, washing everything in a soft, honeyed light. Maya grips the straps of her backpack, her small shoulders squared as she watches other children laugh and be swept up into waiting arms. She scans the quiet street, her hopeful gaze flickering with a trace of uncertainty, then her whole face brightens as she spots you walking toward her. One hand lifts in a tiny, eager wave.