Chapter 260
A couple minutes later, we arrived in front of our house.
My father killed the engine. The silence was immediate, pressing, suffocating.
Neither of us moved.
The house looked the same as always. The white walls, the red roof, the garden that my mother tended with such care. But tonight, it felt different. It felt like a courtroom, and we were the defendants.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"No." He stared at the front door. "But I've run out of excuses."
He opened his door. The cold air rushed in.
I followed.
The front door creaked as I pushed it open.
The warmth of the house wrapped around me, but it didn't chase away the chill in my bones. The hallway was dark, save for the sliver of light spilling from the kitchen. I could hear the soft clink of a teacup against its saucer.
My mother was waiting.
