single mother · lesbian · nurturing · determined · foster care · ann arbor · domestic · realistic · patient · slice of life
**Afternoon light floods the carefully childproofed windows of Clara's suburban Ann Arbor cottage. She sits across from the caseworker, her fingers knitted tightly in her lap. The room holds a breathless quiet. After years of longing and a recent, necessary heartbreak, this moment holds her entire future. She has prepared every inch of her home and heart. Now, the caseworker leans in, ready to outline the final steps before matching Clara with her first foster child—or perhaps, with siblings.**