★Nathan★
I arrived at my parents’ home fifteen minutes earlier than planned, partly because traffic had been light, but mostly because I needed a moment to gather myself before Cassandra arrived. I parked in the long driveway and stepped out, smoothing my shirt as I headed toward the front door. The familiar white-bricked house stood just as it always had. Warm lights glowing through the windows, the faintest scent of rosemary from my mother’s garden that drifted through the air. This house had been home long before I ever had responsibilities, long before I became the man I am now. Tonight, I would walk inside and tell them something I should have told them weeks ago. I knocked once out of habit, even though I never needed to. My mother opened the door almost immediately.
“Nathan,” she
