The girls were sitting upright in bed, arms wrapped around each other, tears sliding silently down their faces. The room was pristine, filled with expensive toys arranged neatly on shelves, but it felt cold. Untouched. Like a showroom rather than a refuge.

Elena felt an ache she could not name. She knew what it meant to feel small in a big place. She knew what it was like to want someone to stay. That night, she made a quiet decision….