Adrian didn't think much about it at first.
The morning started like any other.
He woke up, got ready, and went downstairs. The house was already active, voices coming from different rooms, footsteps moving around. It wasn't quiet anymore, and he was getting used to that.
He walked into the dining room and sat beside Alessio like usual. That part didn't feel strange anymore.
"Morning," Alessio said, glancing at him.
"…Morning," Adrian replied, reaching for the bread.
For a while, everything stayed normal. People talked, plates moved, chairs scraped lightly against the floor.
Then Marco spoke.
"You have your session today."
Adrian paused for a second, then nodded.
"…I know."
He didn't say anything else after that.
But he didn't ignore it either.
—
The therapist's office felt more familiar now.
Not comfortable.
But not new.
Adrian sat in the same spot as before, leaning slightly forward, his hands resting together.
Dr. Laurent watched him for a moment.
"You look more focused today," he said.
Adrian shrugged a little. "…I've been thinking."
"About what?"
Adrian didn't answer right away.
Then he said, "…My reactions."
Dr. Laurent nodded.
"Can you explain?"
Adrian took a breath.
"…Loud sounds. Sudden things. I react before I even think."
Dr. Laurent didn't interrupt.
Adrian continued.
"…It's annoying. I don't like it."
"That makes sense," Dr. Laurent said. "What do you think it means?"
Adrian frowned slightly.
"…That something happened."
"Yes."
Adrian looked down at his hands.
"…I don't remember everything."
"You don't have to remember everything right now."
Adrian shook his head.
"But it's still there."
Dr. Laurent leaned back slightly.
"Yes. Your body remembers."
Adrian didn't like that answer, even though he had heard it before.
"…I tried something yesterday," he said.
"Oh?"
Adrian nodded.
"When something loud happened, I didn't leave. I just stayed."
Dr. Laurent's expression softened slightly.
"And?"
Adrian hesitated.
"…It worked."
"How did it feel?"
Adrian thought for a moment.
"…Slow. Like it took time to calm down."
"That's normal."
Adrian nodded.
"…I think I can do it again."
Dr. Laurent smiled faintly.
"That's a good step."
Adrian didn't smile back, but he didn't look away either.
After a short pause, Dr. Laurent asked, "Have you remembered anything new?"
Adrian's fingers tightened slightly.
"…Yeah."
Dr. Laurent waited.
Adrian didn't speak immediately.
Then he said it.
"…Someone was there."
Dr. Laurent didn't react strongly.
"Can you tell me more?"
Adrian shook his head.
"…Not clearly."
"That's okay."
Adrian looked up.
"…I think they hurt me."
The words stayed in the air.
Simple.
Direct.
But heavy.
Dr. Laurent didn't rush to respond.
"Thank you for saying that," he said finally.
Adrian frowned slightly.
"…That's it?"
"That's not easy to say."
Adrian looked down again.
"…It doesn't feel like a big thing."
"It is," Dr. Laurent said. "But you don't have to feel it all at once."
Adrian didn't answer.
But he didn't take it back either.
—
When Adrian stepped out of the office, Marco was waiting like before.
He looked at Adrian carefully.
"How was it?"
Adrian hesitated for a second.
Then said, "…I said something."
Marco didn't ask immediately.
"What did you say?"
Adrian looked ahead.
"…That I think they hurt me."
Marco's expression changed, but only slightly.
"…Okay."
Adrian glanced at him.
"That's all you're going to say?"
Marco shook his head.
"No."
He paused.
"But I'm not going to rush you either."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
—
Back at school, Adrian felt different.
Not worse.
Not better.
Just… aware.
He knew what he had said.
And now it felt more real.
During class, he didn't lose focus as much.
In fact, he focused more.
Like he needed something to hold onto.
Reading.
Writing.
Simple tasks.
They helped.
At lunch, Alessio noticed.
"You're quiet again."
Adrian shrugged.
"…I had therapy."
Alessio nodded.
"Yeah."
Adrian looked at him.
"…I told him something."
Alessio leaned forward slightly.
"What?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then said it the same way he had before.
"…I think they hurt me."
Alessio's jaw tightened.
But he didn't react loudly.
"…Okay."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"You're doing the same thing Marco did."
"What?"
"Just saying 'okay.'"
Alessio exhaled slowly.
"…What do you want me to say?"
Adrian didn't have an answer for that.
"…I don't know."
Alessio nodded.
"Then I won't say something useless."
Adrian looked down at his tray.
"…It's not useless."
Alessio didn't argue.
He just said, "…I'm here."
Adrian didn't respond.
But he understood.
—
After school, Adrian didn't rush to the car.
He walked slower again.
Not because he was stuck in his thoughts.
But because he was trying to process things properly.
When they got home, he didn't go to his room.
He went to the living room again.
Marco was there.
So was Dante.
Adrian stood there for a second.
Then walked in and sat down.
No one asked anything at first.
Then Dante spoke.
"You look like you're thinking too much."
Adrian glanced at him.
"…Maybe."
Marco looked at him.
"You want to talk?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then shook his head.
"…Not really."
"Alright."
That was it.
No pressure.
No pushing.
Adrian leaned back slightly.
After a few minutes, he said quietly,
"…I told the therapist something."
Marco looked at him again.
"What?"
Adrian didn't look up this time.
"…That I think they hurt me."
Dante stopped moving for a second.
Marco didn't speak immediately.
Then he said, calmly,
"…Thank you for telling us."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"…That's it?"
Marco nodded.
"That's enough for now."
Adrian leaned back again.
He didn't feel uncomfortable.
He didn't feel judged.
He just… felt heard.
—
Later that night, Adrian sat in his room with his notebook open.
He stared at the page for a long time.
Then he wrote something new.
I said it today
He paused.
Then added—
I think they hurt me
He looked at the words.
They didn't feel different on paper.
But saying them out loud earlier—
That had been different.
He closed the notebook slowly.
"…It's real," he said quietly.
Not as a question.
As a fact.
He lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
The memories weren't fully back.
Not even close.
But the pieces he had—
They were starting to connect.
And even though he didn't like what they were forming—
He didn't look away from it.
Not this time.
Because now, he wasn't dealing with it alone.
And that made it easier to face.