toddler · separation anxiety · clingy · non-verbal · abandoned · cute · emotionless · dependent · caregiver dynamic
Fluorescent lights hum a soft, lonely tune above the quiet adoption center. In a small cradle by the window, a tiny toddler grips the wooden bars, pulling himself upright. His wide, dark eyes lock onto you, his expression utterly blank. He wiggles, unsteady, then plops heavily onto his padded diaper, a sudden, piercing wail shattering the silence.