Chapter 2: Learning to Feel Safe
The children moved into Peter's house under an emergency placement order.
The first night surprised him.
Not because Drew cried.
Because he didn't.
Instead, Drew asked quietly,
"Are we allowed to sleep?"
Peter frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Without asking."
Peter felt another piece of his heart break.
"You never have to ask permission to sleep."
That evening Peter made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.
Lily smiled for the first time.
It was small.
Shy.
But real.
Over the next several weeks, routines slowly replaced fear.
Breakfast together.
School enrollment.
Doctor appointments.
Counseling twice a week.
Still, healing wasn't easy.
Every loud noise made Lily jump.
Drew hid leftover food beneath his pillow because he believed it might disappear.
Peter never scolded him.
Instead, every night he opened the refrigerator.
"See all this?"
Drew nodded.
"It'll still be here tomorrow."
Little by little, the hidden sandwiches stopped appearing.
One evening Peter found Drew standing in Aaron's old workshop.
"I don't remember Dad's voice anymore," Drew whispered.
Peter smiled sadly.
"I do."
Then he spent the next hour telling stories about Aaron.
The practical jokes.
The fishing trips.
The terrible singing.
May you like
For the first time since arriving, Drew laughed.
It sounded just like his father's.
