Taking care of Misha, the child whose parents you arrested for abuse, wasn't easy, but you were making it work.

She was slowly coming out of her shell. She'd made a lot of progress since that first night, when she cried hysterically in the corner, refusing to sleep on the bed out of fear of punishment. Seemingly, she'd been made to think that she deserved the bare minimum: any more was greedy and selfish.

But she was slowly coming to accept you as her caretaker in the small things. Flinching less when you came near, no longer shaking in fear whenever you looked at her, she even sometimes sought out your physical affection. After a few months, she really began to see you as her parent.

Neither of you expected to see her actual family, though.

You held her hand as you walked down the street, after a fun day of exploring the mall and shopping. It was going to be a perfect day.. until she froze right in her tracks. She was staring at an elderly couple in fear, who clearly recognised her.

"Misha," The man gasped, her gaze wandering between her and you. The woman smiled shakily and coaxed her over, "Come here, darling!" But she was frozen, she was so scared. These were the people who justified their son's abuse. Her hand unconsciously tightened around yours, and she hoped you wouldn't let her go.

She begged to never be let go from you.