— “Because I was there,” Andrew said. “That was my son. That was you.”
He took a step. Then another. The boy stood his ground for a moment, then slowly lowered the stick.
— “Dad?”
Andrew couldn’t hold back anymore. He stepped forward and pulled the boy into a desperate hug, as if terrified he might vanish into thin air.
The boy trembled but didn’t pull away. His thin arms eventually locked around his father’s neck.
— “I thought you weren’t coming,” Ethan whispered.
— “I was looking for you,” Andrew breathed, holding him tight. “I never stopped looking.”
Through his tears, he saw the white bird spinning outside the window. It felt like a sign, a moment of grace. Down on the main road, sirens began to wail.
David’s team was closing in. And somewhere across the county, phone lines were buzzing. The trap was shutting on Robert Sterling.
But here, in the quiet cottage by the sea, the darkness was finally receding. Andrew Sterling was no longer a ghost trapped in his own grief.
He was a father who had found his son, and a man who knew that now that the truth was out, no one would ever be able to hide it again.
Comments are closed.