Ultimately, she tucked the journals away in the bottom drawer, where they gathered a thin layer of dust.
One day after school, the nanny came to pick her up as usual. As she walked in, she heard her parents whispering in the living room. "What if... we adopt a boy? When we're old and gone, having a boy in the family would mean someone could protect Shanshan."
Their voices weren't loud, but they made no effort to hide the conversation from her.
A folder lay open on the coffee table, containing several printouts on adoption policies and a sticky note listing things to consider.
Her father held a pen, underlining a few lines on a page as if weighing his options.
"Shanshan, what do you think?"
Her mother stood up from the sofa and walked over to her.
She slipped off her high heels and crouched down to meet her gaze.
Her fingers rested gently on Shanshan's knee, her palm a little cool.
The living room light cast a faint shadow across her face.
