Eric could feel his heart beat hard against his chest. It had never been this way before. Home was where he felt more at peace and loved. He had been away from home for only seven months, yet it felt like years. He was sitting in his favorite position. A small cushion positioned opposite the chair in which his father usually sat. He had always felt like the favorite, and even though he wasn’t the oldest, he believed he was his father’s heir. Of course, he had never let his thoughts out in the open. Now, as he sat on the chair and stared at the vacant seat from across the room, he realized the emotions he usually felt were lacking. The difference between then and now was that there was no sad aura hanging above their heads. It had always been all joy and love.
His back was stiff from sitti
