Mom, you watched...

Rose sat at the edge of the long dining table, staring at the empty chair at the other end. The silence of the room pressed against her chest as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.

The grand chandelier above, with its crystal drops sparkling under the afternoon sun, cast fragmented light across the polished mahogany table. It was the same table where the family used to gather for dinners, laughter echoing through the walls. Now, it was just her and the weight of a conversation that had yet to happen.

She ran her fingers along the embroidered edges of the linen tablecloth, her thoughts drifting back to the day when everything changed.

It was sixteen years ago, but the memory remained as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Jason, her eldest son, had stood tall, his eyes filled with a stubborn determination that matched her father do the terrible thing to them.

Henry, Jason’s grandfather, had issued the ultimatum with the cold finality of a man who had spent his life b