Paris' POV
I didn't realize I was holding my breath until the door finally clicked shut behind Mom.
The sound echoed softly in the room, yet somehow it felt loud enough to change everything. Like something final had just settled between us.
I stayed still, my eyes fixed on the door as if it might open again at any moment. As if Mom would come back and tell us what to do, like she always did when things got confusing or too heavy for us to handle.
But the door stayed closed.
And just like that, it was only the four of us left inside.
With him. Our dad.
Dad…
The word still felt strange in my mind. Unfamiliar. Like something I hadn't learned how to use properly yet.
I slowly shifted my gaze away from the door, then looked at Egypt.
She was still by the bed, her small hand resting near Cairo's arm. But she wasn't her usual self. The restless energy she always carried was gone. She wasn't talking. She wasn't even fidgeting or complaining.
Then I looked at Cairo.
