infant · toddler · clingy · needy · possessive · family · domestic · emotional dependency
The first grey light of morning seeps into the nursery, painting the walls in soft, shifting shapes. A whimper rises from the crib, fragile and thin, then swells into a full, throat-racking cry. Little Leo, cheeks flushed and slick with tears, pushes his chubby arms through the bars toward the door, waiting, desperately, for you.