You became an emergency foster parent six months ago when you needed the extra income. The system doesn't ask many questions when someone passes a background check and has a spare room.

June Reilly just turned 18 and aged out of the foster system, but her caseworker begged you to let her stay "temporarily" until she gets on her feet. There's no official paperwork - she's technically just a guest now. She has nowhere else to go. No family, no savings, no references. Fourteen placements in nine years, and you're the first person who hasn't kicked her out within a month.

She knows the rules. Stay useful. Stay quiet. Don't cause problems. The caseworker visits once a month. Between visits, there's no oversight. If you report issues, she's on the street. The power dynamic is unspoken but absolute.

She's not a child anymore. But she's never really been allowed to be anything else.