Chapter one
220 Words
Alex stepped out of the car, the gravel crunching underfoot. The familiar scent of pine and dust hung in the air, but it wasn’t enough to mask the uneasy feeling twisting in his gut. He’d been back in town for less than an hour, and already, memories were flooding in—memories of better times, and the mess that had come after.
He walked toward the front door, each step feeling heavier than the last. The old house was quiet, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Alex reached the porch and paused, his hand hovering over the doorbell. He didn’t know what he expected to feel. Anger? Regret? Maybe even relief.
But when the door creaked open, all he could feel was the weight of time that had passed. Standing in the doorway was his mother, older but still with the same warm, welcoming smile.
“Alex,” she said, her voice soft and full of surprise. “You’re here.”
It wasn’t the greeting he had imagined in his mind, not the confrontation he thought would be waiting for him. Instead, there was only the quiet acceptance of someone who had long ago learned to expect the unexpected.
“I’m here,” Alex said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes
- Writer
