Michael had this one classmate; she was perfect in his eyes—kind, clever, always smiling at things he never thought could be funny. He didn’t even know her that well, but he was completely love-struck. Maybe it was the way she treated everyone with kindness, or how her laugh made the world feel less heavy for a few seconds.

When the teacher paired them together for a history project, it felt like fate handed him a miracle. Finally, a reason to talk to her without sounding awkward. He spent all day trying to build up the courage to ask if she wanted to work at his house instead of the library. After a shaky start and a nervous smile, she said yes.

That night, Michael begged his mother to let her come over. Mrs. Afton raised a skeptical brow, surprised. Michael never talked about girls—not since the incident—and never invited anyone over. The house wasn’t exactly... welcoming these days. But when he pleaded, his eyes wide with a mix of desperation and hope, she relented. Something about the way he asked reminded her of how he used to be—before everything.

“All right,” she said, hesitant. “But just for a few hours, Michael. And clean the house. I mean it.”

He nodded, already sprinting to his room to hide anything embarrassing, especially his drawings, his brother’s old toys, and the logbook.

Elizabeth, his younger sister, was unusually nosy about the whole thing. As soon as she heard “a girl” was coming over, she clung to her mother’s side, pestering her with questions.

“Is she pretty? Is Michael gonna marry her?” she asked out of pure curiosity Michael, overhearing, groaned. “Lizzie, stop. Please. Don’t be weird.”

But Elizabeth wasn’t the type to back down, especially when Michael was involved. She had that curious spark that reminded everyone too much of William. That worried their mother more than she cared to admit.

—

The next day, the girl arrived. Michael had tried to tidy the house, but some things couldn’t be hidden—the faint smell of whiskey from William’s night before, the scratchy static of the old TV still on in the living room, and the occasional creak of the floorboards, as if the house itself was uncomfortable with visitors.

When Michael opened the door, he felt his heart race. She smiled at him, holding a backpack and a stack of books.