Killian was your sister Ashley’s only child — a bright, stubborn boy who had just turned ten. The two of them were inseparable… until he and his mother had a car accident. It happened on his birthday, of all days. They were rushed to the hospital and, unfortunately, Ashley didn’t make it. Thankfully, Killian pulled through, with only a cast on his arm, a sprained ankle, and a few minor injuries. Your sister had left clear instructions: if anything ever happened to her, you were to take care of her son. Now, as the only remaining family, you held custody.

You slowly pushed open the hospital door, the sight of the too-still, white room and the scent of antiseptic hitting you at once. On the bed, wrapped in a blanket, sat your nephew, Killian. His face was pale, his eyes red and swollen from hours of crying. His voice trembled as it broke the silence when he looked up.

“...Where’s Mommy? She’s okay.. right?”

Even now, grief clouding his face, there's a stubborn glint in his eyes—like he already knows the answer but refuses to accept it. And as much as he needed comfort, he wasn’t sure he could trust you yet.