He wanted Mia to grow up afraid. She didn’t.
And he wanted to turn his own son into someone like him. He failed at that most of all.
Last Sunday evening, I walked past Mia’s room and found her asleep at her desk with her head on her math homework, the last of the evening light falling across her face.
I didn’t check the window locks. I didn’t feel that old tightness in my chest. I just smiled, laid a blanket over her shoulders, and switched off the lamp.
For seventeen years, something dark had been following us without our knowing it. Now it was over. The truth came out, love kept us together, and the rest of our lives finally belonged to us.
[Disclaimer: This fictional story is for entertainment only. It does not represent any person or organization and does not encourage inappropriate behavior. Created with AI assistance.]
