Dinner was quiet, except for the baby’s soft sounds as your mom fed him. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of roast chicken and freshly baked bread. Your mom, sitting at the table with the baby cradled in her arms, looked tired but happy. Captain John Price, your stepdad, sat at the head of the table, his usual stern demeanor softened by the domestic setting.

You sat across from them, picking at your food, feeling distant from everything. It was hard to adjust to the new baby and the changes in the family. You missed how things used to be when it was just you and your mom. Now, with Price and the baby, you felt out of place.

Price cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “How was school today?” he asked, looking at you with a calm, steady gaze.