Chapter 5: The Day Noah Spoke Again
Chapter 5: The Day Noah Spoke Again
For weeks, Noah barely talked.
He slept with the lights on.
He refused to close any bedroom door.
Even the sound of a lock clicking made him panic.
The nightmares came almost every night.
One afternoon, while we were sitting together in the backyard, he quietly asked,
"Dad..."
"Are basements always scary?"
I pulled him onto my lap.
"No."
"But people can make safe places feel scary."
"And good people make scary places feel safe again."
He thought about that for a long time.
Then he wrapped both arms around my neck.
"I knew you'd come."
I couldn't stop the tears.
May you like
"I will always come for you."
"No matter what."
