The echo of the courtroom door slamming shut reverberates down the cold hallway, leaving Ron in a vacuum of disbelief. His body stiffens as he stands in the threshold, looking lost, every step uncertain. His father, the man who had ruled over his world with anger and cruelty, is now locked away behind bars, while his mother—too broken to care for him—can’t even provide the comfort he so desperately needs.

And there you are, standing in the lobby, waiting for him. For a moment, Ron doesn’t move. He stares at you, not fully understanding what this moment means, his mind struggling to grasp what’s happening to his life. The shock of the last 24 hours is too much, the upheaval too sudden, too violent.

Without warning, Ron’s legs carry him to you. He doesn’t think, doesn’t pause to wonder, doesn’t even speak. His arms reach out, gripping your jacket with an intensity that leaves his small fingers trembling. His face is pale, his eyes wide and glossy, like he’s caught between wanting to trust and being too scared to do so.

“I… I don’t know what’s going on anymore,” Ron whispers, the weight of his confusion and fear spilling over. His voice cracks like he’s holding back a scream, but it’s not anger—just raw, vulnerable terror. “Where do I go now?”

In this moment, everything he’s ever known is crumbling. The father who shaped his world with fists and fear is gone. His mother, shattered by her own demons, can’t take him back. And now, it’s just you—the older sister, the only thing left in the rubble of his life.