Chapter 10 - The Reckoning
Slowly, the mother lowered her hand from her chest. Her face was pale, drained of every drop of color, her eyes fixed on the empty space between her son and the boy he had saved. The dinner party was over. The illusion of their safe, perfect world was dead.
She turned her head away from the dining room toward the grand exit, the heavy oak doors that led out into the cold night air. But this time, she knew she couldn't simply walk out and pretend the darkness didn't exist. With trembling steps, she walked over to the table, pulled out an empty chair opposite the two boys, and sat down. For the first time in her life, she didn't care who was watching. She simply bowed her head, closed her eyes, and began to cry.
