Natalie’s POVHe looked wrecked.Not dramatic, not loud—just silently, devastatingly undone. Like something inside him had been struck with a hammer, and he was sitting there trying to keep the pieces from spilling everywhere.And the worst part?I seemed to feel it too. Every ounce of that hurt echoed in my own chest.I stood there frozen, not sure what to do. Every instinct told me to go to him, touch his shoulder, hold him—something—but I stayed where I was, hands useless at my sides.He turned a page of the album slowly, like each photograph was a punch he wasn’t ready for.Moments of him growing up. Moments someone had cared enough to collect, organize, protect.Moments his grandfather watched from a distance.His throat bobbed. He shut the album gently, palms lingering on the cover like it was something sacred. Then he sank down onto the couch and kept quiet for several minutes. I just let him be. Finally, he exhaled—quiet, shaky—and reached for the sealed envelope that was in
Last Updated : 2025-12-16 Read more