Keifer's POV
The front door burst open with too much energy for the heaviness sitting in the living room.
"I'm back!"
Keiren's voice bounced off the walls as he kicked off his shoes, a wide grin on his face, hair messy, eyes bright. He dropped his backpack on the floor like nothing in the world could possibly be wrong.
"I swear the roller coaster almost killed me," he announced proudly. "But it was worth it."
Jay looked up first.
Keigan straightened slowly.
I felt the shift immediately—that moment when joy crashes into silence and no one knows how to explain why.
Keiren stopped mid-step, finally noticing it. "Why do you all look like that?" His eyes darted around, confused. "Did I miss something?"
Then, like it just occurred to him, "Where's Eces?"
The question landed heavier than he knew.
I exchanged a glance with Jay, then with Keigan. A silent conversation passed between us.
What do you tell a twelve-year-old?
That adults failed someone younger than him?
That cruelty can be loud and unfair?
That Eces had stood there and taken it without fighting back?
Jay's fingers twisted together in her lap.
Keigan looked down at the floor.
I cleared my throat, buying time. "She went to her room," I said carefully. "She's tired."
Keiren frowned. "But she didn't even say hi." Then, softer, "Did I do something?"
"No," Jay said quickly, standing up. She crossed the room and knelt in front of him, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Keiren nodded, but he wasn't convinced. "She always says hi."
Of course she does, I thought.
He hesitated, then asked the question none of us wanted. "Is she sad?"
The room went quiet again.
I felt something twist in my chest.
How do you explain injustice without breaking innocence?
I met Keigan's eyes. He gave a small shake of his head.
So I chose the safest truth.
"She had a rough day," I said gently. "Sometimes people need quiet after that."
Keiren thought about it. Then nodded like he'd accepted it—but kids always know more than they let on.
"I'll give her my candy from the park later," he said. "That usually helps."
Jay turned away before he could see her face.
Keiren picked up his bag again, already moving on. "I'm hungry," he declared. "Is there food?"
"In the kitchen," I said automatically.
As he walked off, laughing to himself, the weight returned the second the sound of his footsteps faded.
I leaned back against the couch and exhaled slowly.
We'd protected him.
But upstairs, Eces was alone.
And somehow, that felt like we'd failed her twice.
The house slowly emptied of voices.
Keigan headed upstairs first, hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders heavy as he disappeared into his room without a word. Keiren's door clicked shut soon after, the sound of a video starting up muffled through the wall—his world already returning to normal.
Jay stood in the living room a moment longer, staring at the staircase.
I didn't rush her.
When she finally turned, her eyes were glassy, exhaustion clinging to her like a second skin. I reached out and took her hand, and she let me lead her to our room.
The door closed quietly behind us.
Jay sat on the edge of the bed and finally—finally—broke.
"She shouldn't have to be this strong," she whispered. "She's younger than me, Keifer. She's my little sister."
I knelt in front of her, resting my hands on her knees. "I know."
Her breath hitched. "I promised her things would be different here."
"They are different," I said gently. "You stepped in. You protected her."
"But I didn't stop it from happening."
I shook my head. "You can't control other people's cruelty. You can only decide what you do when it shows up."
Jay covered her face, shoulders trembling. I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly as she leaned into me.
"I hate that she didn't even cry," Jay said into my shoulder. "That scares me more than if she had."
I closed my eyes.
"It scares me too," I admitted. "Because it means she learned a long time ago that crying wasn't safe."
Jay pulled back slightly, eyes searching mine. "What if we're not enough?"
I cupped her face, thumbs brushing away the tears she hadn't realized were falling. "You are more than enough. And you're not alone in this."
She let out a shaky breath. "I don't want her to feel like she has to disappear to survive."
"She won't," I said firmly. "Not here. Not on our watch."
Jay nodded slowly, resting her forehead against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her again, grounding both of us.
Outside the room, the house was quiet.
But inside, I held her, silently promising the same thing she had—
Eces would not face this world alone anymore.
The room had just settled into silence when a soft knock sounded on the door.
Not hurried. Not loud.
I looked at Jay. She looked back at me, confused.
"I'll get it," I said, standing up.
When I opened the door, Eces was standing there.
She looked… normal. Calm. Composed. No trace of the storm from earlier, except maybe the way her fingers were clasped together a little too tightly.
"Can I ask Jay something?" she asked quietly.
"Of course," I said, stepping aside.
She walked in, her steps light, almost careful, like she didn't want to disturb anything. She went straight to Jay, leaned down, and whispered something in her ear—so soft I couldn't catch a single word.
Jay's expression shifted instantly.
Understanding. Concern. Gentle reassurance.
Jay leaned closer and whispered back, "Yes. I have them."
Eces nodded once. "Okay. Thank you."
That was it.
No drama. No embarrassment.
She turned and left the room as quietly as she'd come.
The door closed.
I looked at Jay. "What was that about?"
Jay was already standing up. "I'll tell you later. Let me go to her first."
"Jay," I said gently but firmly, stopping her for a second. "What happened?"
She hesitated, then sighed. "She just needed a sanitary napkin. She got her period."
Oh.
That explained the timing. The quiet. The withdrawal.
Jay went straight to the wardrobe, pulled one out, and headed for the door. I followed her without saying anything.
When we reached Eces's room, Jay knocked softly and went inside.
I stayed back, leaning against the wall.
The door wasn't fully closed.
I saw Eces sitting on the bed, shoulders relaxed now, Jay handing her what she needed, the two of them exchanging a few quiet words—sister to sister.
Eces smiled.
A real one.
Something in my chest eased.
She was okay.
And then I noticed Jay too—the way her posture softened, the way some invisible tension finally left her shoulders.
She needed this as much as Eces did.
When Jay came back out, she met my eyes and nodded slightly.
She was relieved.
So was I.
Because for the first time since the school incident, it felt like things were… human again. Normal. Safe.
And standing there in the hallway, watching both sisters retreat into their separate rooms, I felt something settle inside me.
Tonight wasn't about answers or suspicions.
It was about care.
And for now—that was enough.
Third Person POV
Dinner was quieter than usual—but not heavy.
The table was full.
Keiren sat beside Eces, swinging his legs slightly, clearly still riding the high of his day. "Okay, so listen," he said enthusiastically, pointing his fork like it was a microphone, "the roller coaster? INSANE. I thought my soul left my body."
Eces looked at him, genuinely amused. "Did you scream?"
Keiren scoffed. "Obviously not."
Keigan raised an eyebrow. "You screamed."
"I did not."
"You cried," Keigan added calmly.
"I did NOT cry," Keiren protested, turning to Eces. "He's lying."
Eces smiled softly. "It's okay. Screaming makes it more fun."
Keiren grinned, instantly validated. "See? She gets it."
Jay watched the interaction quietly, her heart easing just a little. Eces was eating properly, responding normally, even laughing once when Keiren dramatically reenacted a ride.
Keifer noticed too.
The tension from earlier had loosened—just enough to breathe.
Dinner moved on with small conversations, clinking cutlery, familiar warmth slowly returning to the house.
After dinner, Keigan pushed his chair back. "I'm heading to my room."
"Me too," Keiren said, grabbing a glass of water. "I'm exhausted."
Their footsteps faded upstairs, leaving just Jay, Keifer, and Eces in the kitchen.
Eces stood, walked to the counter, and took out a small strip of medicine. She swallowed a tablet with practiced ease.
Jay noticed immediately. "Eces… what medicine is that?"
Eces paused, then looked at them. "I have IED," she said quietly.
That was all.
No explanation.
No details.
No emotion.
She set the glass down and added, "Good night."
Then she turned and walked out of the kitchen, disappearing down the hallway and up the stairs.
A door closed softly.
Jay and Keifer stood there, frozen.
Jay was the first to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know what IED is?"
Keifer shook his head slowly. "No."
Jay exhaled, worry creeping back in. "We'll ask Ci-n tomorrow morning," she said. "He might know."
Keifer nodded, eyes still fixed on the hallway Eces had gone down.
Whatever IED was—
It was another locked door.
And Eces had just closed it without a sound.
Jay's POV
Morning felt almost normal—almost.
The hall was bright, everyone already dressed for school, bags ready, voices overlapping. Keifer was checking the time, Keiren was talking too loudly, Keigan half-listening like always.
And then I noticed it.
Eces wasn't there.
She appeared a moment later at the top of the stairs, one hand resting lightly on the railing. Her face was calm, but I could tell—something was off.
"I'm not going to school today," she said quietly. "I'm not feeling well."
My heart dipped.
Keiren turned to her immediately. "Why? What happened?"
Keigan frowned. "Is it serious?"
Eces shook her head. "It's nothing."
Keifer understood immediately.
"There's nothing to worry about," he said before the questions could pile up. His tone was easy, reassuring. "She just needs rest today."
I looked at him.
He knew.
I gave him a small, quick look toward the door—a silent please.
He caught it instantly. "Come on," he told Keiren and Keigan. "Both of you. We're already late."
"But—" Keiren started.
"Now," Keifer added gently but firmly.
They hesitated, still concerned, but Keifer ushered them outside anyway. The door closed behind them, and the house finally went quiet.
I walked up to Eces.
"You okay?" I asked softly.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"If the cramps get horrible," I said gently, "call me. Anytime."
Another nod.
I leaned in and kissed her forehead, slow and careful. "Rest properly, okay?"
She looked at me and said softly, "Bye."
I turned and went outside.
Keifer was already in the car. I took the passenger seat, and Keiren and Keigan climbed into the back, still talking about school like nothing had happened.
As we pulled out of the driveway, my eyes drifted back to the house for just a second.
Eces was alone today.
And all I could think was—I hope she really will call if it gets worse.
We dropped Keiren and Keigan at their school first. After that, the car turned toward ours, the morning moving on like it always did.
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Guys , I am not getting enough response from all of you , I am uploading even in my exams and I don't even get 5-6 comments .
There are 104 collections of this book and 161 k views but not even 5 comments.
So if I didn't get enough comments on this chapter, so I will stop writing. 😞😞