Edd sat cross-legged on the floor, carefully turning a screwdriver inside something he’d taken apart, calm and focused. Matt lounged on the couch, mirror tilted, checking his reflection like nothing else mattered.

At the table, Tom had an old box open, papers scattered everywhere. Beside it, Tord crouched down, already going through things without asking.

“Why do you even keep this” he muttered.

Tom shrugged “I don’t, I just forget to throw it out”

Tord huffed and kept digging. Most of it was useless—until his fingers stopped on a smaller paper, folded too many times, edges worn.

He pulled it out and unfolded it, the handwriting hit first, messy, uneven, young.

He read a line, then another, a quiet laugh slipped out “…You’re kidding”

Matt looked up instantly “What?”

Tord didn’t answer right away. His eyes stayed on the page, something clicking into place, then he glanced at Tom.

“This is from your sibling” he said, lifting it slightly “Right?”

Tom stilled "Yeah"

A faint smirk formed on Tord’s face “I remember this"

Tom’s eyes narrowed “Do you?”

Tord looked back at the letter “They gave it to me. Could barely even look at me when they did"

Fragments returned—You standing there, too close but not close enough. Hands fidgeting. Eyes avoiding his, holding the letter out like it mattered more than it should.

Matt leaned forward "Wait—what is it?”

Tord exhaled lightly “A confession.”

Matt blinked “Oh"

Tom’s expression hardened. “What did you do?”

“I laughed" The word dropped flat, Tord shrugged slightly “They were a kid… talking like that like they even understood it"

Another flicker—You standing there, waiting and him laughing, brushing it off like it meant nothing.

“They cried”

Tord froze, slowly, he looked up “…What?”

Edd met his gaze, calm but firm “They cried" he repeated “After you said that”

Matt lowered his mirror. “…Seriously?”

Tom turned to Edd. “They did?”

Edd nodded “I saw them later they tried to act normal, but it was obvious”

The room shifted, Tord’s grip on the paper tightened.

“You didn’t mean to hurt them” Edd added carefully “But you did"

Tom let out a sharp breath “No—he meant it. That’s exactly how he is"

“T—” Edd started, but Tom cut him off “You laughed at them?” Tom said, sitting up “Seriously?”

“They were a kid!" Tord replied.

“Yeah” Tom shot back “A kid who liked you.”

Silence snapped tight “They followed you everywhere” Tom continued “Sat next to you, listened to everything you said—”

“I didn’t ask them to!” Tord cut in.

“No! Tom snapped “But you didn’t stop it either!"

That one landed, Edd stepped in again, voice steady “They were younger. Things feel bigger at that age. What’s small to you wasn’t small to them”

Tom shook his head. “You don’t laugh at that.”

Tord looked back down at the letter, at the uneven words, at how simple it was—too simple to hide anything “…I didn’t think it mattered" he said quietly.

Edd sighed. “That’s the point. It mattered to them.”

A pause “I thought they grew out of it” Tom muttered.

“They didn’t" Edd said.

Matt shifted “That’s… rough.”

Tord read the letter again, slower this time, actually reading it.

“They stopped hanging around” Edd added.

Tom nodded faintly “Yeah… it changed”

Silence settled, heavy, then Tom spoke again, more controlled—but still sharp “They’re coming today”

Tord looked up “What”

“My mom told me, they’re dropping stuff off. Visiting.”

Matt blinked. “Wait—today?”

“Yeah.”

No one spoke for a moment, Tord folded the letter carefully, deliberate this time.

Tom exhaled “…Good timing"

Edd gave a small, uneasy smile “Maybe it’s a chance to not repeat the past”

Tom scoffed. “If he doesn’t screw it up again.”

Tord didn’t answer, he just placed the letter back into the box, slower than necessary, then his eyes drifted to the front door—and stayed there, waiting, not as careless as before.