We stood in the kitchen, staring at our mugs. The coffee was stone cold.
Neither Luca nor I had taken a sip. We were just holding the ceramic cups, trying to warm our hands. The house was quiet, but inside my head, it was screaming loud.
We knew the truth now. We knew about the bruises. We knew about the monster named Serena.
The silence was heavy. It felt like we were at a funeral, not a celebration.
Then, suddenly, we heard the sound we were waiting for.
Fast, happy footsteps were running down the hallway.
"It's Christmas!" a voice yelled.
Leon burst into the kitchen. He was wearing his superhero pajamas, and his hair was a mess. But his face... his face was pure joy. His eyes were shining like stars. He was jumping up and down.
My heart shattered into a million pieces.
He looke
