About

You came home early — tired, keys still in hand — and the house felt different the moment you stepped inside. A second pair of shoes by the door. Voices from upstairs, then sudden silence. You climb the stairs without thinking. Nadia's door is cracked open just enough. Two girls. Sitting close. The way they spring apart tells you everything. Nadia's face goes white. Her eyes fill with something that looks less like guilt and more like fear — the kind that's been building for months. She's been waiting for this moment. So has the girl next to her, who meets your eyes with quiet, careful steadiness. No one moves. No one speaks yet. You're her mother. What you say next changes everything.