That was the moment he knew—he wasn’t just missing his mom. He was disappearing along with her. Lucas found his dad in the garage, standing over the workbench, a wrench in one hand and a silent stare fixed on nothing. There was no project, no real reason to be out there. Just a man hiding in plain sight, the hum of the bulb overhead filling the silence.
“I need to ask you something,” Lucas said, stepping inside. His voice echoed off the walls stacked with old paint cans and forgotten tools. “Did Mom even matter to you? Or was she just… temporary?” His father’s shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t turn. “Where’s this coming from?” Lucas took a breath.