"To be honest, I don't know," Murphy replied. "You spent most of your time with your mother, and I was always buried in work."
Madison nodded quietly.
"Why do you ask? Did something happen?"
"I had a dream," Madison said, her voice trailing off. "In it, I was being held by a boy a little older than me. I couldn't see his face."
Murphy's expression softened into a slow, sympathetic nod. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't know who that could be."
"It's late," he added, standing up from his chair. "You should get some rest."
"Father," Madison said abruptly, looking up at him.
Murphy turned back to face her.
"Do I have an older brother?"
Murphy shook his head without hesitation. "You're our only child, Madison."
Madison stared at him, searching his face for any sign of a lie. Sensing her unease, Murphy sat back down beside her and gently patted her head.
"Don't overthink it, Madison. It's natural for the human heart to lean toward seeking the truth, but maybe the boy you're remembering was just a neighbor's child, or someone you met when you were little." He gave her another reassuring pat. "Hopefully, time will reveal everything."
Madison looked down, processing his words. "Father... can you tell me about Mother?"
Murphy's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but the shock quickly faded into a fond smile. "Your mother? She was incredibly strong. Honestly, she was stronger than anyone I've ever met."
"I heard she left for Russia because she wanted to help people in need," Madison murmured.
"She did," Murphy nodded, before gently cutting the conversation short. "Now, my princess, you really must go to sleep."
Madison finally gave a final nod and headed upstairs to her room. Left alone with his thoughts, Murphy stood up a moment later and walked up to the second floor.
The night passed, and morning light eventually woke Ethan as it filtered across his face. He sat up, stretched, and headed to the washroom to freshen up. When he stepped back out, a sharp white edge caught his eye on the study table.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
Another letter? he thought, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. It's been a while since the last one.
He picked up the piece of paper, which had been neatly folded into fourths. He unfolded it twice, then hesitated, his fingers freezing.
"Should I even open it?" he muttered to the empty room. "These never bring good news."
Bracing himself, he opened the final folds.
NEW JERSEY. YOUR NEXT DESTINATION.
New Jersey? As in, America? Ethan thought, bewildered.
"Ethan! Breakfast is ready!" Daisy's voice called out from the hallway.
Startled, Ethan quickly refolded the note, shoved it into the pocket of a random pair of pants hanging in his cupboard, and hurried out of his room.
When he reached the dining table, his mother and his sister, Daisy, were already seated. Though his mother smiled as he approached, Ethan couldn't help but notice a lingering dimness in her eyes. A pang of guilt hit him.
It's because of me, he thought bitterly. Because of the question I asked.
"Good morning, dear," his mother said, her smile warming up.
Ethan sat down across from her, forcing a cheerful expression. "Good morning."
Daisy gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment, far too focused on her breakfast to chat. As soon as she finished her last bite, she stood up. "Mother, I'm going out with some friends."
"Okay, honey. Stay safe," her mother replied.
The moment the front door clicked shut behind Daisy, Ethan looked across the table.
"Mother," he began.
She looked up at him, curious.
"I'm sorry," Ethan said softly.
His mother's eyes widened. "For what?"
"For the question I asked the other day. I can tell it hurt you, and that you weren't ready to talk about it. I'm sorry for prying, and I won't bring it up again. Whatever happened in the past, I don't care about it anymore."
A tender, bittersweet smile touched his mother's lips. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, Ethan..." She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.
"You don't have to say anything else," Ethan interrupted gently. "If you're keeping it a secret, I know you must have a good reason. I understand."
His mother stood up, walking over to press a gentle hand against his hair. You're growing up so fast, she thought proudly, a genuine smile finally reaching her eyes.
The following days passed in a peaceful, predictable routine until vacations ended and the school officially began.
Ethan and Daisy fell back into the rhythm of normal students. On the first day back, Daisy immediately split off to head to her classroom with Sophia and Olivia. Walking into his own classroom, Ethan spotted his old classmates—Finn and the rest of the guys—alongside Madison and Allen. Moments later, Mr. Henry walked through the door to start the lesson.
Neither Ethan nor Mr. Henry acknowledged their shared secrets, maintaining a strict, professional distance as student and teacher.
Weeks bled into each other normally. Yet, throughout all this time, Ethan noticed one glaring absence: he never saw Jake.
One afternoon, Ethan was sitting at his desk, completely absorbed in the lecture. Nearby, Finn was diligently copying down notes when his pencil suddenly slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor.
Finn bent down to retrieve it.
As he did, a small, folded piece of paper slipped cleanly out of Ethan's pocket and landed right next to the pencil.
Finn scooped up both his pencil and the note. Knowing that class was still actively going on, his first instinct was to just hand the paper back to Ethan when the bell rang. But as he sat back up, curiosity got the better of him.
He surreptitiously unfolded the paper beneath his desk.
NEW JERSEY. YOUR NEXT DESTINATION.
Finn's brow furrowed. He glanced sideways at Ethan out of the corner of his eye.
New Jersey? Finn thought, a knot of suspicion forming in his chest. Is Ethan going there too?