d.I was thrown out of my parents’ house at nineteen for refusing to abort my baby. For ten years, they believed
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Chapter 6 / 7
CHAPTER 6 — The Knock at Midnight
That night, we stayed in the house.
Not because I trusted them.
But because leaving felt like running again.
Leo fell asleep on the couch.
My parents sat across from me like strangers who suddenly remembered guilt.
At 11:47 PM…
There was a knock at the door.
Not loud.
Not rushed.
Controlled.
My father froze.
My mother whispered, “No…”
I stood slowly.
Another knock.
This time, slower.
Deliberate.
I walked to the door.
My hand hovered over the handle.
Behind me, my father whispered:
“Don’t open it.”
But I already knew.
Some truths don’t wait.
I opened the door.
A man stood outside in the dark.
Older now.
But unmistakable.
Daniel Mercer.
Leo’s father.
May you like
Alive.
And smiling like he had never left.
