Clara Harper sat on the edge of the clinic bed, cradling her newborn son against her chest. The dim light overhead flickered, casting uneven shadows on the peeling walls. She gazed down at the tiny face in her arms, her voice barely a whisper as she spoke. "You're here now, my love. You’re finally here." Her finger traced the delicate curve of his hands, tears spilling freely and soaking the thin blanket that wrapped him. "I promise you, Aidan, I’ll give you everything I can, even if it costs me everything." Her voice cracked, trembling under the weight of unspoken fears. The faint hum of distant voices outside reminded her of the cruel, unforgiving world waiting beyond these walls."I know it’s just the two of us now," she murmured, her words barely audible as her lips quivered against his soft skin. "But that’s enough, isn’t it? You won’t have to know what loneliness feels like. I swear to you, I’ll never let them take your smile away." As she rocked Aidan gently in her arms, her mi

The sun hung low over the crumbling apartment complex, casting long shadows that stretched like cracks across the peeling walls. Aidan Harper sat cross-legged on the worn carpet of their tiny living room, a broken radio in his lap. The faded device was a relic of another era, scavenged from a dumpster earlier that day."If this works... maybe, just maybe, I can fix something for real," he muttered to himself, gripping the single screwdriver he owned with trembling fingers.From the kitchen, the sound of pots clattering signaled his mother, Clara, preparing their meager dinner. She peeked into the room, concern etched into her tired face.“What are you doing, Aidan?” she asked, her voice soft but edged with worry. “That thing’s junk. You’ll hurt yourself.”“It’s not junk. It’s a challenge,” he replied without looking up, his eyes glued to the tangle of rusted wires and corroded circuits.Clara sighed. “You’ve been at this all day. Come eat something.”“Not until I make it work.” His to

The room was cloaked in silence, save for the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. Aidan sat at the small dining table, his eyes fixed on his mother. Clara Harper, a woman weathered by years of hardship, sat by the window, staring into the city’s distant lights. She had done this every night for as long as Aidan could remember.“Why do you always sit there, Mom?” Aidan’s voice broke the stillness.Clara didn’t turn. Her fingers gripped the arm of the chair tightly. “It’s peaceful. Helps me think.”“Think about what?” he pressed.“Life. Choices.” Her answer was clipped, almost rehearsed.Aidan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Is it about him?”Her head snapped around, her gaze sharp. “Who?”“You know who.”Clara’s expression softened but only slightly. “We’ve talked about this before. There’s nothing to say.”“That’s not true,” Aidan countered. “There’s plenty to say, but you won’t say it.”Clara sighed, standing up and smoothing her apron. “It’s late. You should

It started with Mrs. Cartwright again.“You’re back,” she said, squinting at Aidan through her thick glasses. “What do you want this time?”“Anything you can tell me about William Cross,” Aidan said, leaning against the doorframe.Mrs. Cartwright pursed her lips. “You’re playing with fire, boy.”“I’ve been told that before,” Aidan replied with a thin smile. “But I’m not stopping until I know the truth.”She sighed heavily, stepping aside to let him in. The scent of lavender and old books filled her living room.“I don’t know much,” she began, settling into her armchair. “But I remember your mother worked for the Cross family years ago. Big house on the hill—fancy, too fancy for folks like us.”“She worked for them?” Aidan repeated, his brow furrowing.Mrs. Cartwright nodded. “Your mother was a maid there. Hardworking, quiet. Then one day, she was gone. Rumors spread, of course.”“What kind of rumors?”She hesitated, eyeing him warily. “That she got involved with William Cross. He was

The room was heavy with silence, broken only by the uneven sound of Clara’s breathing. Aidan sat frozen in his chair, his mother’s words echoing in his head.“He was taken from me.”The raw pain in her voice twisted something deep inside him, but it also fed his determination.“What do you mean, ‘taken’?” Aidan asked quietly, though his voice carried an edge.Clara shook her head, her eyes distant, as though she were looking at a memory too painful to recall.“You wouldn’t understand,” she murmured.“Try me,” Aidan pressed, leaning forward.Her gaze snapped to his, anger flickering to life. “I said you wouldn’t understand, Aidan! You’ve already dug up enough ghosts. Leave it alone!”Aidan slammed his hand on the table, startling her. “No! You don’t get to shut me out, not after everything I’ve found! You owe me the truth, Mom. All of it!”Clara’s lips trembled, but her expression hardened. “Owe you? I owe you? Do you have any idea what I went through to keep you safe? To give you a li