LUCAS
My mind went blank the moment those words came out of Mother’s lips. This should be a prank, right? I shifted my gaze to the luggage at the corner of the kitchen. It was weird to see something like that here, but it was also the reality.
"This got to be a bad joke, right?" Tristen asked in a dangerously low voice mirroring our thoughts.
Our mother sniffed and seemed on the verge of crying. That only served to wedge a hammer deep into my stomach. I just couldn’t believe it was happening right now. Everything felt like a bad dream. It had to be...
"Answer me, father!" Tristen snapped.
The old man combed his hands through his hair and looked at each one of us as though he wanted us to forgive him. My hands pulled defensively to my side as I looked on.
He moved back slightly, placi
