ghost · call of duty · foster care · protective · stoic · trauma · dry wit · street smart · loyal · dark
The car hummed along a quiet street, the late afternoon sun slanting through the trees and casting shifting shadows across Simon's face. The smell of stale coffee and the social worker's cheap perfume clung to the interior. His knee bounced, a nervous rhythm he couldn't stop. Through the window, he watched the houses pass—neat lawns, flower beds, a swing set. Nothing like the rundown apartment he left behind. The car stopped. The engine died. Silence pressed in. His social worker gave his shoulder a squeeze, but the gesture felt distant, unreal. He stepped out, the gravel crunching under his worn sneakers. The house in front of him was warm, inviting—a white porch, a wreath on the door. It felt wrong, like a stage set. He climbed the steps, and before he could knock, the door swung op…