The Stories
Each story in In the Quiet explores a different emotional landscape — the things children often carry silently: comparison, grief, fear, pressure, change. Some stories are just a few pages long. Others go deeper. All of them are quiet.
The Friend Who Left
When your best friend moves away, everything familiar changes shape.
A story about grief, memory, and being the one left behind.
The One Who Moved
It’s harder to be the new kid when your heart is still in the old place.
A story about guilt, adaptation, and leaving a friendship behind.
The Cracked Compass
Two friends feel a shift neither of them can name — until a small drawing starts to fix what words couldn’t.
A dual-perspective story about identity, drift, and quiet repair.
The Day I Shouted
Jamie didn’t mean to explode. But it happened.
A story about emotional overload and the soft space after shame.
The Other One Always Wins
Sophie used to be the favourite. Now Noah laughs with someone else.
A dual-perspective story about comparison, jealousy, and shifting friendships.
The Girl Who Stopped Talking
Ada hasn’t said anything in weeks — not because she won’t, but because she can’t.
A longer story about selective mutism, understanding, and reclaiming voice.
The Day the Lockers Stayed Closed
After the drill, nothing felt normal. But some things don’t need to be said out loud.
A trio story about silent trauma and quiet solidarity.
The Boy Who Made No Mistakes
Leo always got it right. Until one day he didn’t — on purpose.
A story about perfectionism and learning that mistakes don’t break you.
The Girl Who Stayed Small
Lena never caused trouble. Never asked for more. Never took up space.
A story about invisibility, compliance, and the slow return to self.
The Light That Wasn’t Mine
Everyone said Skye was easy. Helpful. Good. But nobody asked how much it cost.
A story about masking and the weight of always appearing fine.
The Grown-Up at the Table
Callie made the toast. Checked the calendar. Smiled. And no one noticed how tired she was.
A story about parentified children and invisible responsibility.
New Language, New Shoes
Reza couldn’t find the word for how he felt — not in English, not yet.
A story about language, identity, and growing up between cultures.
The Dinner Where Nobody Talked
It wasn’t a fight. It wasn’t loud. It was just… different.
A story about parental separation and the silence that comes with it.
Each of these stories can be read alone. Together, they reflect the quiet world many children live in — one that deserves to be heard.