Junior nodded without looking at him. “Okay, Papa.‘
An automatic response. Empty.
The office door opened and a woman in her mid–forties with a warm smile and kind eyes stepped out.
“Junior Blackwood?”
Junior looked at Daniel with something that might have been nervousness.
Daniel placed a hand on his small shoulder. “It’s okay. Dr. Linda just wants to talk to you. Like a new friend.”
Dr. Linda knelt in front of Junior with a gentle smile. “Hi, Junior. My name is Linda. I have fun toys and games in my room. Want to see?”
Junior glanced at Daniel again.
“Papa will wait here,” Daniel said. “If Junior needs anything, Papa’s outside.”
Junior nodded slowly, then followed Dr. Linda inside.
Daniel watched the door close, then sat back down with a heavy exhale.
The waiting felt eternal.
Forty–five agonizing minutes passed slowly.
When the door finally opened, Dr. Linda came out alone with a folder in her hand and a professional but concerned expression.
“Mr. Blackwood, could we talk for a moment?”
They moved to a more private consultation room while Dr. Linda’s assistant stayed with Junior in the play area.
“How is he?” Daniel asked immediately when the door closed.
Dr. Linda sat down, opening the folder. “Junior is a very bright and articulate boy for his age. But he’s also clearly experiencing significant emotional distress.”
“Because of the broken toy? Optimus?”
“More than that.” Dr. Linda pulled out several sheets from the folder. “I asked Junior to draw his family. This is a very common technique for understanding how children perceive relationships in their home.”
She placed the first drawing on the table.
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Daniel stared at it, something sinking in his stomach.
The drawing showed a stick figure with long hair and a big smile. Below it, in careful, childish letters: “MAMA.”
No other figures. Just Alina.
“When I asked who this was, Junior immediately said ‘Mama Alina.‘ Then I asked, ‘Who else is in your family?‘ And he said, ‘Just Mama.“”
Daniel stared at the drawing, unable to speak.
“I probed deeper. Asked about Papa, about grandmother, about Mama Rissa who I heard recently returned. And Junior drew this.”
Dr. Linda placed down the second drawing.
Another figure. Taller. A dress drawn with elaborate, careful detail.
But the face… the face was scribbled over with black crayon. Over and over. With enough pressure that the paper tore in several places.
Below it, the words “MAMA RISSA” in shaky, angry letters.
“When drawing this,” Dr. Linda continued in a soft voice, “Junior was very upset. His hands were shaking. He scribbled over the face repeatedly while saying, ‘She’s mean. She made Mama sad. She took Optimus.“”
Daniel couldn’t look away from the drawing. From the violence in those scribbles. From the anger so obvious even in the crayon marks.
“Mr. Blackwood,” Dr. Linda’s voice was gentle but firm, “Junior clearly has a very strong attachment to the figure he calls Mama Alina. And he has resistance, even hostility, toward Mama Rissa. What’s happening at home?”
Daniel took a shaky breath. “The situation is complicated.”
“I’m sure it is. But from Junior’s perspective, it’s not complicated at all. He has one person he trusts, whom he loves as a maternal figure. And that person is somehow being taken from him or distanced. Is that accurate?”
Too accurate.
“Alina,” Daniel began, his voice hoarse, “isn’t Junior’s biological mother. Clarissa, his biological mother, left when Junior was born. She came back a few weeks ago. We’re trying to reintegrate her into Junior’s life.”
“And Alina’s position in this process?”
“She’s…” Daniel stopped. How could he explain? “She’s being phased out. To make room for Clarissa.”
Dr. Linda looked at him with a carefully neutral expression, but Daniel could see the judgment there.
“Mr. Blackwood, from a psychological standpoint, what you’re describing is very concerning. Junior spent five years, his entire conscious memory, with Alina as his primary caregiver. In his mind, she is his Mom. Biological connection means nothing to a child this age. Attachment means everything.”
She tapped Alina’s drawing. “This isn’t just a drawing. This is a representation of Junior’s entire emotional security. And if you remove this person from his life, especially suddenly and without proper preparation, you’re not just taking away a babysitter or helper. You’re taking away his Mom.”
Those words hit Daniel with physical force.
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“And introducing a biological mother he doesn’t know, whom he clearly resents,” Dr. Linda continued, tapping the scribbled–over drawing of Clarissa, “without proper transition or therapy support, that’s a recipe for serious psychological damage.”
“We’re not trying to damage him. We’re trying to give him a proper family. A biological mother. A complete unit.”
“But what does Junior want? What does he need?” Dr. Linda leaned forward. “Mr. Blackwood, your intentions may be good. But the impact on Junior is clearly harmful. He’s confused. Angry. Scared. He doesn’t understand why his Mama is suddenly distant. Why this stranger is trying to replace the person he loves.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.

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