It Was Me

EZEKIEL

As soon as the door shut behind my parents, I let out a long sigh. The house was quiet again, but my mind wasn’t. Guilt ate up my whole system.

Had I been too harsh? I’d defended Vince, of course, but my dad and mom were still my parents. Maybe I should’ve handled things differently, maybe talked it through better instead of letting it blow up the way it did.

But then I thought back to how my dad had yelled at Vince. The way Vince had looked, terrified, standing there, trying to explain himself while being accused of something he probably didn’t fully understand.

I clenched my fists.

No, I’d do it all again. I’d stand up for my son, no matter what. No one, not even my own parents, had the right to hurt my kids, whether with words or actions.

I shook off the guilt. It was the right call.

As I turned back in Vivienne’s direction, I noticed how she still looked furious even after my parents left. I could see the tension in her face and the fire in her eyes. I knew this wasn’t