Chapter 3 – The Locked Door
The Watson house was quiet, too quiet. Every shadow felt tense, like the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Keiren was pacing the hallway when they arrived, his small frame looking even smaller beside the tall wooden door he kept glancing at. His eyes lit up when he saw Keifer.
"Kuya," Keiren whispered, relief breaking through his panic. "He won't open the door. He won't even answer me."
Keifer set a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder, steadying him. "It's okay. I'm here now."
But Keigen's silence behind that door was a scream in itself.
Jay hovered a step back, watching the two brothers, her chest tightening. She already knew Keigen's struggle—two sides of him constantly at war, the fragile balance always threatening to tip. She knew because, in her own way, she'd lived it.
Keifer raised a fist to knock again, his voice firm but trembling at the edges. "Keigen. It's me. Open the door. Please."
Nothing.
Jay moved forward before she could stop herself, gently touching Keifer's arm. His stormy eyes flicked to hers, ready to protest, but the determination in her gaze silenced him.
"Let me try," she said softly.
Keifer hesitated. Then, with a slow nod, stepped aside.
Jay leaned against the door, pressing her forehead to the wood. "Keigen," she began, her voice low, steady. "It's Jay. Remember me?"
There was a faint shuffle on the other side. Her heart lifted.
"I know what it feels like," she continued, swallowing hard. "To fight with yourself. To not know which part of you is stronger—or scarier. I… I had that too." Her voice cracked, but she forced it steady. "My trauma, my nightmares, the part of me I wanted to bury… it used to control me. I thought I'd never be free from it."
Silence. Then a faint, broken whisper: "You… too?"
Tears stung her eyes. "Yes. Me too. You're not alone, Keigen. And you don't have to lock yourself away. Not from your brothers. Not from me."
The lock clicked. Slowly, the door creaked open, revealing Keigen's pale, tear-streaked face. His eyes flickered—soft and lost, then sharp and frightened, then soft again.
Jay didn't wait. She pulled him into her arms, hugging him tight. "It's okay," she whispered against his shoulder. "I understand."
Keigen clung to her, shaking. And after a long beat, Keifer stepped forward, wrapping his arms around both of them. His voice was rough when he spoke.
"No matter what part of you shows up, you're still our brother. You're still Keigen. And we're never leaving you."
For the first time that night, the Watson hallway didn't feel so heavy.