The walk home had been quiet, almost eerily so. The usual chatter of kids spilling out of school, the distant hum of traffic, even the faint bark of a neighbours' dog—it all seemed muted to Miles. He shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, eyes scanning the street, replaying snippets of the day in his head: a laugh with a friend, a glance exchanged with Leia that made his chest twist in ways he couldn't explain, the small thrill of being with her.
By the time he reached the corner of his street, though, a sense of unease settled in. Something was off. The air felt heavier, the shadows stretching longer than they should have. Theo's car wasn't in the driveway, which wasn't unusual for a weekday, but there was something about the way the front door was slightly ajar that set every nerve on edge.
Miles quickened his pace, heart beginning to hammer in his chest. "Theo?" he called as he stepped onto the porch, voice sharper than he intended. Silence answered him. He pushed the door open.
Inside, the living room was a mess. Cushions were overturned, drawers partially open, papers scattered across the floor. And there, slumped in one of the armchairs, sat Theo, head buried in his hands. His older brother's shoulders were tense, and every so often, a shudder ran through him like he was trying to hold back a storm of words—or tears.
"Dude… what happened?" Miles asked, dropping his backpack to the floor.
Theo didn't look up. "Mom… she… she's gone through everything."
Miles froze. "What do you mean?"
Theo lifted his head slightly, enough for Miles to catch the despair etched into his face. "She… she took money, Miles. From the safe. From the accounts. All of it. We barely had enough for the bills as it is. I… I don't know what to do."
Anger rose in Miles like a wildfire. He felt it first in his chest, then in his throat, then in every fistful of hair he grabbed instinctively. "What the hell?!" he shouted, stepping forward, voice echoing off the walls. "She… she what?"
Theo buried his face in his hands again. "I tried to stop her… I didn't know how… she just… she just took it. I don't—"
Miles slammed his backpack against the floor, the loud thud reverberating through the living room. "She can't just do that!" His voice cracked, a mix of fury and disbelief. "She can't just steal from her own kids! From us!"
Theo remained silent, trembling slightly.
Miles spun on his heel and stormed toward the kitchen, the familiar scent of burnt toast and old coffee doing nothing to calm his nerves. And there she was—his mother, leaning against the counter, a look of guilt and defiance both dancing across her face.
"Miles," she said, voice attempting calm. "I—"
"You what?" he snapped, cutting her off. "You stole from us! From me! From Theo!"
She held up her hands, eyes darting nervously. "I—It's not like that, I just—"
"Not like that?" Miles laughed bitterly, a hollow sound that scraped his throat. "Not like that? Mom, how many times do I have to tell you that this—this whole life you've built around selfishness and lies is ruining us? You weren't there when it mattered. You're never there!"
Theo muttered something under his breath, but Miles was too far gone to notice. "You have no idea what it's like to feel abandoned, to come home and see everything falling apart because you couldn't be bothered to be… a parent. You think stealing money makes life easier? It doesn't. It just… it just breaks everyone else while you pretend everything's fine!"
His mother flinched, stepping back slightly. "Miles, calm down. I—"
"Calm down? Calm down?" Miles shot back, voice rising to the point it could shatter glass. "Do you know what it feels like to grow up watching the person who's supposed to protect you destroy everything they touch? To come home, expecting some normalcy, and finding chaos instead?"
Tears pricked at his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Not in front of her. Not again. "I've had enough, Mom. I'm done. I can't—We can't—" His voice cracked again. "I can't keep living like this. I can't."
Theo looked up, eyes wide, and for the first time, Miles noticed how exhausted his brother looked. Silent, defeated, trying to hold it together.
"I'm not staying here anymore," Miles said finally, jaw tight, fists still clenched. "And I'm not letting this keep controlling my life. I'm done being… I'm done being a victim to all of this."
His mother's lips parted, words trapped somewhere between apology and defiance. Miles didn't wait. He stormed out of the house, the door slamming behind him with a force that rattled the windows.
Outside, the air hit him like ice, sharp and biting, but freeing. He pulled his hoodie tighter around him and fished his phone from his pocket, fingers trembling as he dialed Leia's number. She answered almost immediately, her soft voice anchoring him.
"Leia…" he began, voice low but urgent. "We need to talk. Now."
"What's wrong?" she asked, concern immediately lacing her tone.
"It's… it's everything," he said, pacing the sidewalk, struggling to control his racing thoughts. "Mom… she stole from us. Again. I can't… I can't stay there. I'm done. I'm not waiting for someone to ruin everything else in my life while pretending like nothing's wrong."
There was a pause on the line. "Miles…" Leia whispered, her own panic threading through her words. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying… I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore. I want… I want to be away from all of it. From her, from… from this mess." His words were jagged, raw, urgent. "And I want you with me."
Leia gasped, heart hammering. "Miles… are you serious?"
"Yes," he said, decisive now, though his chest felt like it was going to explode. "I want us to go. Just… leave. Just for now. I don't care where, I just… I can't stay there anymore. And I don't want to be without you."
A pause, long and heavy. Then Leia's voice, trembling but fierce: "Okay. Let's do it. But… we have to be smart. My mom's at work tonight"
"Exactly," he said, relief flooding him. "Tonight. We pack, we leave, and we don't look back."
And in that moment, standing alone on the sidewalk with the weight of everything behind him, Miles felt something he hadn't in years: freedom. Not complete, not safe—but freedom. And he knew that with Leia by his side, nothing else mattered.