The motel room was too quiet after Jason’s father left. The silence pressed down on us, heavier than the shouting that had filled it minutes before. I sat on the edge of the bed, my hands trembling in my lap, while Jason paced the room like a caged animal.
Mom hadn’t moved. She was still hunched forward, her face hidden in her hands, as though the weight of everything had finally broken her.
Jason stopped pacing and looked at me. His expression softened, but his voice was still raw. “You okay?”
I forced a nod. “I think so. Are you?”
He gave a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. “I just got disowned. So, no, not really. But—” He crossed the room, kneeling in front of me, his hands covering mine. “But I don’t regret it. Not for a second.”
My chest tightened. His words warmed me a
