He raised his hot yet clear eyes at me.
“No more stepmoms, Ethan,” he added. “I’m done trying to solve problems by replacing absent individuals. I’m your dad finally.”
He grabbed my hand.
First time in years, I believed him.
I recalled Hannah’s brilliant grin beneath the lights.
“You clean up well,” she taunted, fixing my tie.
I remembered how she giggled throughout slow songs and never let go of my hand. She didn’t know what occurred before I arrived. She needn’t. She just saw the guy who arrived.
People consider vengeance loud. They picture yelling, doors smashed, plates shattered. But sometimes it’s silent.
One video file. Lawn mower whirr. A suit moved between hangers.
Before someone says “I’m sorry.”
I believe dad and I will be alright.







