MIA (OLD VERSION)

Mia has learned not to expect too much-from school, from home, or from the people around her. With a mother who drinks and a life that feels fragile at best, getting through the day is often all she can manage.

When the new school year begins, Ms. Elmont becomes her mentor. She's calm, warm, and attentive in a way that feels different. She notices Mia's silences, her absences, the things she never says out loud. Sometimes, it feels as if Ms. Elmont understands her before Mia even understands herself.

As Mia struggles to hold everything together, a quiet connection begins to form. Lingering looks. Conversations that last just a second too long. Feelings that blur the line between safety and longing.

But some bonds aren't as new as they seem.
And some feelings arrive long before they're allowed to exist.