Twenty-Five

Finally, Jack’s eyes flicked up, and he noticed me standing there. His expression shifted from relaxed to tense in an instant, and he pulled his arm away from my mother as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. My mother followed his gaze and turned to look at me, a warm smile on her face.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she said, her voice bright. “How was school?”

I forced a smile, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. “It was fine,” I replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.

Jack’s eyes lingered on me for a moment, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he felt guilty, sad, or something else entirely, but I couldn’t bear to look at him for too long. I quickly shifted my gaze to my mother, focusing on her instead.

“I’m just going to head up to my room,” I said, already turning to leave before they could respond.

“Oh, okay,” my mother said, a hint of concern in her voice. “If you need anything, just let us know.”

“Thanks,”