His Reason to Stay

everything feel slower and heavier. I stood on the porch, a cup of weak coffee in my

was

show up, but part of me thought he m

here in five minutes, I'd start without him. I had too much to d

e door, I heard it, tire

ned s

d now, pulling up to the f

tired, less polished than usual. His shirt was wrinkled, and there was a sm

late,"

the bag.

Is that cinn

might soften the glare you were p

nd failed. "You're

it every morning of his life. For a moment, we just sat there sipping coffee,

ickly he'd carved out

last night," he s

d at th

ce dipped. "B

as that flicker again the

talk ab

lds. "You ever feel like you're stuck betwee

"Every si

e to clear my head. To write. But the truth is, I was

pause. "Bla

nto his jacket pocket and pulled out a small photo

uck, a much younger version of someone familiar. There was someth

that

etly. "Taken right before

een that truck before. My dad

ine knew each o

oice made the hair

ed togethe

exa

to back. "What's

at me. Rea

ll Liam. But the full

it like a

dwe

re it burned down. The man who left town in disgrace. The man my

aldwell?" I as

dded

n't you

act. And because I didn't come here

st?" I

talked about this place, not until the end. He left me letters, one of them mentioned your family. Mentioned your fa

es. "So you showed up pretending to be s

id. "But yes, I shoul

t him, hea

ldn't have hur

't here to cause tr

Amara, I

my name l

anything from you. I didn't come to

t did you

for closure. Maybe revenge.

d n

soft flickered there... regr

" he admitted. "Except I know I d

slightly, rustling the trees, like the far

me," I sai

his car. "I'll give you space.

e away until the d

Cal

ould change

ke to me. It didn't change the way he'd smiled when I laugh

a Cal

re that meant w