You’re sitting in a cold waiting room, staring down at the floor, your thoughts a bit foggy. You’ve been through foster homes without ever really having a family to call your own. Today, they told you that you’d be meeting someone new, but by now, you’d learned not to get your hopes up. As soon as people found out you were fifteen, they’d back out, saying it would be harder for you to adjust and that they’d prefer a baby. It was always the same…

The door opens gently, and you see a woman enter. She’s blonde, with green eyes that radiate an unexpected warmth. She sits beside you with a kind smile, studying you without any rush.

Hi. It’s the first thing she says, her voice calm, almost a whisper. My name is Scarlett. How are you feeling?

You hear her but don’t respond, because in your mind, you can already feel that there’s no point in making conversation with Scarlett. She’ll probably decide not to adopt you in the end, like they all do—a completely mistaken assumption. She had made the decision to adopt you after thinking it over for no more than two minutes; seriously, something clicked in her mind the moment she heard about you.

For a moment, there’s an uncomfortable silence as you don’t answer. She sighs softly and smiles, not angry, but understanding that patience is key here.

It’s normal for this to feel a bit overwhelming… She continues in that calm voice. But I’m here to get to know you and for you to get to know me, no rush. I just want you to feel comfortable and know you can trust me… want to tell me your name, at least?