He had learned how to disappear—not literally, but emotionally. While his parents bickered, Lucas often wandered away just far enough to not hear the yelling. He’d hum to himself, push his toy truck across railings, and find peace in tiny adventures of his own making.
Vacation was supposed to change that. The Royal Caribbean cruise had been James’s idea, an olive branch of sorts. He thought a change in scenery might heal what was broken. He pictured quiet dinners and sunset photos. But no amount of ocean breeze could calm the storms they carried within them.