Abandoned

31

The blinds were drawn. The overhead light hummed softly. Files were spread across the table—color-coded tabs, handwritten notes, psychological reports, behavior logs. But the centerpiece of it all was Sienna's profile. A photo was clipped to the top corner: wide brown eyes, soft cheeks, and something guarded in the way she stared at the camera.

Laila sat with her elbows on the table, brows pinched in quiet focus. She'd seen too many cases reduced to bullet points, but this—this—was different.

Dr Harrison sat beside her, arms folded, his expression protective but steady.

Across from them, Nicole Moore, the placement coordinator, flipped through a short list of foster families. Her lips pressed into a line.

"She's going to need more than a standard home," Nicole said. "We've had a few with trauma-informed training, but none who've dealt with behaviors like this. Not long-term."

"She's not just a list of behaviors," Laila Aaziz said quietly. "She's a child. A brilliant, sensitive child with a nervous system that's constantly on fire. She needs stability. She needs someone who'll stay."

Dr Harrison nodded. "And who won't flinch when it's hard. She needs a home that won't give up on her after one bad night."

Nicole looked back down. "We've got one home in Ontario. The parents are both former therapists—gentle, structured. No other children, but they've worked with complex trauma before. They're trauma-informed and open to attachment-based support."

"She'd need to meet them slowly," Ms Aaziz said. "At her pace. No surprises."

"Of course," Nicole said. "We'd start with visits, short stays. She wouldn't leave until she felt safe."

Laila glanced at Sienna's file again. A soft look passed over her face—something close to grief, or hope.

"I don't want to place her somewhere safe enough," she said. "I want it to be the right fit. A place that can hold her, even when she can't explain what she needs. Even when she's shut down, or biting, or hiding."

She added, voice gentle but firm, "She needs someone who sees the why—not just the what."

Nicole nodded. "Let me reach out to this family. I'll send over her case and a draft transition plan. If they're still open after reading it, we can schedule a video call."

They sat in silence for a beat.

Then Dr Harrison spoke again, softer this time.

"She's been waiting a long time for someone to come through."

Laila reached for her pen and began to write, voice quiet.

"Then we better make sure the ones who show up now know how much it matters."

Nicole closed the last folder and set it gently atop the stack.

"The Ontario family is strong," she said, "but I'll be honest—we all need to be honest. Ms Von Klene is our best bet here. I'm not sure Sienna will tolerate a full transition anytime soon. Her attachment to Zareya is deep. Unusually deep, for this stage."

Dr Harrison, Zareya's boss nodded slowly. His fingers curled just slightly where they rested on the table.

"She trusts her," he said. "They've spent hours building that. In moments where she couldn't communicate, or even exist near another adult—she reached for her."

Laila shifted, hesitating. "But... would she consider it?"

Nicole blinked. "What's there to consider. She already sees her as a daughter and the girl is clearly dependant on her. I mean just look at her, how awful she has been this past week without her person."