Tomás stammered, shaking his head, but his guilty face betrayed him. Neighbors started stepping out, gossip spreading like fire. “Call the police!” Samantha shouted.
I remained frozen. Everything spun: the stolen money, betrayal by a friend, my son’s wrath, his vow I’d never weep again. And in that chaos, as sirens neared, I felt an odd peace: a calm coldness, as if all pieces finally aligned.
My boy was no longer a boy. And I… was no longer alone.
