"Silas… are you crying!?" Avery's voice rang out softly from the doorway.
Without a second's hesitation, she ran toward him. Her small feet pattered across the polished wooden floor as she dropped beside him.
Silas didn't lift his head, but when Avery reached out, her hand brushing his trembling shoulder, he finally sucked in a ragged breath. His little frame shook with the effort, as if even breathing had become too difficult.
His cheeks were soaked, his eyes red and swollen. The tip of his nose was pink, and his lips quivered as he whispered, "Avery… my mom and dad… they left me alone."
Each word landed like a heavy stone between them. His voice had turned hoarse, thick from all the crying—a low, broken sound that didn't belong in a ten-year-old boy's mouth.
Avery blinked, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her throat tightened painfully as the weight of Silas's sorrow washed over her.
