Aria I stood outside my mother’s house longer than I wanted to admit. It felt strange that this was supposed to be my home, yet nothing in my body moved the way it should. I held the strap of my bag tightly and stared at the door, wondering if it would feel wrong to knock on a door that once opened for me without hesitation. My chest felt tight, not in a painful way, just in a confused way, like my mind didn’t know how to stand in front of a place that held memories I couldn’t reach. I lifted my hand to knock, but someone opened it before I touched it. My brother stood there, taller than I remembered from the first day he ran into Damien’s house calling for our mother. His face lit up the second he saw me, the exact same smile he had that day, but brighter now, more real. “You came,” he said, the excitement jumping out before he could hide it. I didn’t know what to say at first. I nodded a little, and he stepped aside quickly. “Come in, come in. Mom! She’s here!” Before I
Last Updated : 2025-11-26 Read more