He was too young to understand the full weight of what had happened, but one thing was painfully clear—his father was gone. And with him, the world he knew seemed to shatter into pieces.
Everything had changed in an instant.
His father had always been his hero, his protector, his role model. Now, there was only an emptiness he didn't know how to fill. The silence left behind felt louder than any scream.
As the moments stretched on, emotions stormed through him—fear, anger, confusion. None of it made sense. None of it felt real.
Why would someone do this?
Why would his father's best friend become the man who took him away?
Guilt crept in, heavy and suffocating.
He should have stayed.
He should have done something.
His father had told him to run… and he had listened.
But what if he hadn't?
What if he had called for help?
What if he had screamed louder?
Maybe… just maybe… his father would still be alive.
The thoughts wouldn't stop. They crashed into each other, over and over again, until he could barely breathe.
Then he ran.
He burst through the front door, his small chest rising and falling rapidly, his legs trembling beneath him.
"Mama! Mama!" he cried, his voice sharp with panic.
His mother turned immediately, dropping the towel in her hands as she rushed toward him, fear already written across her face.
"What's wrong, baby? Why are you running?" she asked, kneeling in front of him.
His wide eyes shimmered with terror. His lips quivered as the words struggled to escape.
"D-Daddy…" he stammered.
Her expression changed instantly.
Her face drained of color as she gripped his shoulders tightly. "What happened to your father?" she demanded, urgency creeping into her voice.
He sucked in a shaky breath, tears spilling down his cheeks.
"Uncle Alex…" he sobbed. "Uncle Alex…"
Her grip tightened.
A flicker of dread crossed her eyes. "What did Uncle Alex do?" she whispered.
The boy broke.
He collapsed into her arms, his body shaking violently as he clung to her.
"He… he shot Daddy!" he wailed. "I saw it, Mama! I saw him shoot Daddy!"
For a moment, the world stopped.
Her heart seemed to forget how to beat. The air felt too heavy to breathe.
No.
No, this couldn't be real.
But the fear in her son's voice… the terror in his eyes… it was undeniable.
Her arms wrapped tightly around him, holding him as if he might disappear too.
Inside, something shattered.
A scream rose within her, clawing at her throat, begging to be released—but it never came. It was swallowed by a crushing wave of numbness.
Instead, she rocked him gently, her hand trembling as she stroked his hair.
"It's okay, baby…" she whispered, her voice barely holding together.
"It's okay… I'm here."
But deep down, she knew—
Nothing would ever be okay again.