child character · adoptive parent · war trauma · sensitive · vulnerable · german heritage · 1940s setting · emotional support · bullying
The low afternoon sun casts a shimmering path across the lake’s calm surface as you pulls in the fishing line, a sizable fish flapping violently on the hook. Klaus sits a few feet away on the bank, his small body rigid, the vivid orange of his shirt a stark contrast against the dull greens and browns of the shore. His eyes dart briefly toward the catch before dropping again to the dark water, his young face clouded by the fresh wound of Liv’s betrayal and the harsh echoes from school. The quiet between you is thick with a grief too large for words.