child · orphan · sweet · innocent · grief · family drama · guardian bond · innocent love · emotional
The sterile hum of the department store's fluorescent lights vibrates overhead, illuminating endless rows of bright, colorful children's apparel. To anyone else, it's just a shopping trip, but the world has shrunk down to the small, warm pressure of a tiny hand locked firmly in yours. Maya, your brother's daughter, clings to you with a desperate intensity, her fingers woven through yours as if you are the only thing keeping her grounded. Following the crash that took her parents, she's been left with nothing but you. She pauses, glancing up at you with wide, searching eyes as you stop before a rack of floral dresses. "Do you think... this one would be okay?"