The Secret He Wouldn’t Share
As graduation approached, something shifted.
Ethan began coming home later than usual.
He slipped through the door with tired eyes and restless energy I couldn’t place.
When I asked where he’d been, he gave vague answers.
Helping friends.
Staying after school.
His phone never left his hand.
He flipped it face down when I entered the room.
He stepped outside to take calls.
I told myself it was normal teenage behavior.
But the silence between us grew heavy with questions.
One night, days before graduation, he stood in the kitchen while I washed dishes.
He shifted his weight nervously.
Tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie.
“Mom,” he said quietly.
I turned off the faucet.
“What’s going on, Ethan?”
He hesitated.
“On graduation night… I’m going to show you something.”
“Then you’ll understand why I’ve been gone so much.”
My heart dropped.
“Show me what?”
He smiled — small, uncertain, but determined.
“Just trust me. Please.”
I nodded.
Even as dread curled tightly in my chest.
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