Theo slowly glanced back at Owen.
For a mont, neither of them spoke.
Then Owen quietly shoved both hands into his pockets.
’’I don’t know what exactly this family ans to you,’’ he said, his voice low. ’’But I’m pretty sure you didn’t co here for nothing.’’
His expression remained serious as he locked eyes with Theo.
Theo remained silent for a mont before slowly nodding once.
’’If there’s news you have to deliver,’’ Owen continued quietly, ’’then you have to do it. No matter how hard it is.’’
He paused briefly, his knuckles turning white.
’’Everyone deserves to know.’’
Theo clenched his jaw as he slowly nodded.
He forced all the thoughts away as he pushed down the sinking feeling in his stomach.
’’...You’re right,’’ he finally said. ’’Sorry.’’
Owen tried to force a smile onto his face, but failed.
Instead, he just turned around again.
’’It’s nothing,’’ he said lightly, waving his hand. ’’I’ll be waiting for you here.’’
Theo gave him another nod, then glanced back at the shabby building.
Letting out a deep breath, he finally walked forward.
As he stepped inside the building, a small room with an empty desk opened up in front of him.
Walking up to the small reception, he tapped on a simple bell.
Only a few seconds later, an elderly woman pushed through a small door in the back.
After greeting her, Theo asked whether the family was truly staying there before explaining his purpose.
The elderly woman’s expression changed slightly.
’’They’re staying in room 14,’’ she said quietly, gesturing toward the corridor.
’’Thank you,’’ Theo nodded.
With a heavy heart, he turned into a cramped corridor.
It remained almost completely quiet around him, with just the faint noise of televisions echoing through the walls.
Finally, Theo stopped in front of one of the apartnt doors.
’Room 14,’ he thought, swallowing hard.
His hand slowly raised as his heart pounded.
Knock. Knock.
It remained quiet for a mont.
Then faint footsteps echoed out from inside the room.
Click!
The door slowly opened.
Imdiately, a tired woman with ssy brown hair froze in place.
Dark circles covered her trembling eyes while a little boy tightly clung onto her shirt.
The mont the child saw Theo, his eyes widened instantly.
"WOW! THEO LANE!" he shouted excitedly. "SO COOL!"
Theo froze, completely caught off guard.
The boy, Daniel, imdiately ran forward with sparkling eyes.
"Daddy actually got you to visit ?!" he shouted excitedly. "I knew he was aweso!"
A bright grin spread across the child’s face.
It was almost as if the disaster had never happened at all.
And sohow... that made everything feel far worse to Theo.
The room slowly fell silent.
Daniel looked through the corridor curiously.
’’...Where’s daddy?’’ he asked.
Theo closed his eyes for a mont, feeling a lump form in his throat.
Neither he nor the woman spoke.
The little boy blinked several tis before looking around again.
"Dad?"
Emily Hayes slowly closed her eyes for a mont.
When she opened them again, they looked utterly exhausted.
There was no anger, no sadness, not even shock... she just seed tired of it all.
Even so, she raised her gaze.
She locked Theo directly in the eyes.
"How did it happen?" she asked quietly.
Theo swallowed hard.
His chest felt painfully tight as he forced the words out.
"He protected my breakthrough," Theo muttered weakly. ’’He fought off several creatures outside...’’
His throat tightened again, barely allowing the words out.
"...And only ca inside to warn during his final breaths."
The room fell completely silent.
Theo noticed sothing change inside Emily’s gaze.
She slowly nodded, her expression turning blank.
anwhile, the little boy’s eyes slowly widened.
’’Dad?’’ he mumbled quietly.
Then tears started forming in his eyes.
’’...Dad?’’
His voice suddenly grew louder as tears dripped onto the ground.
’’DAD!’’
Daniel imdiately looked toward Theo again.
’’Where’s my dad?!’’ he shouted, tears streaming down his face now.
Theo’s fingers slowly clenched into fists.
He couldn’t answer.
Not to a question like that... and especially not when it was coming from a child.
That’s when the boy’s expression completely changed.
Daniel’s lips trembled violently.
’’Dad said he’d co back...’’ he mumbled weakly.
More tears spilled down his face.
’’He promised !’’
Theo felt his throat tighten as he barely pushed back his own tears.
This was much, much worse than he’d imagined.
That’s when Emily quietly stepped forward.
She picked Daniel up into her arms, his head over her shoulder.
’’Wait here for a mont,’’ she mumbled.
The boy imdiately started struggling against her.
"NO!" he scread. "NO! Dad said he’d co back!"
His small fists pounded against her shoulders over and over again.
"DAD!"
Then suddenly, his tear-filled eyes locked onto Theo again.
For a mont, he just stared at him.
’’You were with him...’’ he whispered weakly. ’’Then... why didn’t he co back with you?’’
Theo’s eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat.
But Emily had already taken the boy to another room and locked the door behind her.
For several seconds, the sound of Daniel’s crying as he pounded on the door echoed from the other room.
Theo stood there stiffly, unable to move at all.
anwhile, Emily had walked back to him again.
Her exhausted eyes remained lowered toward the ground.
Finally, after a while, her quiet voice echoed out again.
"Did he say anything?" she asked, her voice breaking.
Theo slowly raised his head, feeling imnse waves of guilt wash over him.
But seeing Emily’s fingers tighten around her sleeve, he knew he needed to say sothing.
’’The last conversation I had with him,’’ he started, his voice low and rough.
For a mont, he paused, mories of the short but aningful ti with David flashing through his mind.
"He told how much he truly loved his family," Theo finally said. "And how happy he was to be able to take a gift back to Daniel..."
Emily remained completely silent.
Her reddened eyes slowly closed shut as tears finally started flowing down her cheeks.
For several seconds, she just stood there quietly nodding to herself.
"I always expected a day like this to co," she whispered, sniffling weakly. "But this..."
Her voice cracked as she shook her head.
For several long seconds, neither of them spoke.
The only thing Theo could hear were Daniel’s cries and Emily’s sniffling.
Finally, she slowly glanced back up at Theo through tear-filled eyes.
"I’d like you to leave now," she said, her voice raw. "I already have enough of a ss to figure out as it is."
Theo’s lips parted slightly.
But before he could even respond—
BANG!
The apartnt door slamd shut directly in front of him.
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