ch 5

The house felt quieter when I stood up.

Not because the noise changed.

But because I knew I was leaving it.

Mrs. Vale walked with me toward the entrance first.

Mr. Vale followed behind at an easy pace, hands in his pockets like this was just another normal evening and not something that had changed the shape of my day.

Theo didn’t move from where he was sitting.

But I felt his presence still there.

Quiet.

Steady.

Watching without really watching.

At the door, Mrs. Vale stopped first.

She looked at me for a second.

Not like someone evaluating me.

More like someone deciding something simple.

“You’re leaving already?” she asked softly.

I nodded.

“…Yes.”

She sighed lightly.

“Time moves too fast.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

So I just stayed quiet.

Then she smiled a little.

And before I could step back fully—

“Sebastian,” she said gently.

I looked at her.

Her expression softened.

“Don’t call me ma’am.”

I blinked slightly.

“…Then what should I call you?”

She tilted her head slightly.

A warm, almost teasing smile appeared.

“Mom,” she said simply.

That word—

hit differently.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Just unfamiliar.

I froze for half a second.

“…That’s—”

She raised a hand slightly.

“Too much?” she asked gently.

I didn’t answer immediately.

Because I didn’t know what answer she expected.

Before I could, Mr. Vale walked forward with an easy smile.

“And me,” he added casually, “you don’t need formalities either.”

I looked at him.

He pointed at himself slightly.

“Dad is fine.”

Silence.

I stared.

“…That’s not—”

“What?” he said lightly. “You’re going to call everyone ‘sir’ forever?”

Mrs. Vale smiled at me softly.

“Only if you want to,” she said. “But this house… is not very formal.”

My fingers tightened slightly at my side.

This wasn’t pressure.

It was something else.

Worse in a different way.

It felt like… acceptance.

And I wasn’t used to that.

Not like this.

Mr. Vale leaned slightly toward me, lowering his voice just a bit like he was sharing a secret.

“Next time you come,” he said casually, “we’ll introduce you properly to our second son.”

I blinked.

“…Second son?”

Mrs. Vale gave a small amused smile.

“Yes,” she said. “Theo’s younger brother.”

Mr. Vale added lightly,

“And completely opposite of Theo.”

That made me pause.

Opposite.

The word didn’t fit Theo in my head yet.

Because I still didn’t fully understand him.

So the idea of someone opposite him—

felt even more unclear.

Mr. Vale continued,

“You’ll like him. He talks enough for the whole family.”

Mrs. Vale sighed.

“That’s one way to describe him.”

That small exchange made something faintly lighter in the room.

Almost normal.

Almost.

I stepped slightly back toward the door.

My hand hovered near the handle.

But I didn’t open it immediately.

Because something in me felt stuck.

Not in place.

But in thought.

Mrs. Vale looked at me again.

“You can come anytime,” she said softly. “Don’t overthink it.”

I nodded once.

“…Okay.”

Mr. Vale gave a small wave.

“Take care, Sebastian.”

Then added casually,

“And don’t let Theo confuse you too much.”

I glanced slightly toward the room behind them.

Theo was still sitting there.

Same posture.

Same calm presence.

But for a second—

our eyes met.

Just briefly.

No expression changed.

No words followed.

But that moment stayed longer than it should have.

I opened the door.

The outside air felt different immediately.

Cooler.

Heavier.

More real in a way I understood.

I stepped out.

And the door closed softly behind me.

Only then did it hit me properly.

The warmth didn’t follow me outside.

It stayed inside that house.

And for the first time—

I wasn’t sure if I had just visited a place…

or been quietly accepted into something I didn’t know how to belong to yet.

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