Staff guided her past dorms, speaking in practiced phrases. “We focus on stability. We avoid disruption wherever possible.” In the courtyard, she saw them: a boy lining tiny stones in a row near the right-hand fence, a girl watching the gate, then forcing her eyes down as if she had been taught not to hope.
“That is Tuck and Mira,” the staff member said proudly. “They have been with us for years. Our longest success story.” The word success rang wrong in Nina’s ears. Success for whom? She opened her mouth to ask about placement attempts. The staff member smiled. “Their case is complex. It is all being handled.”