Alec lay sprawled face down on his bed, bare feet swinging lazily in the air as his eyes wandered across the ceiling.
The fan spun sluggishly above his head, stirring up warm air that didn't do much to ease the late afternoon heat.
His black backpack — still empty — sat abandoned in the corner, leaning against a pile of books and a forgotten shirt — a silent symbol of the change he was still avoiding.
Despite his usual excitement when faced with anything new, there was a strange stillness in the room.
A pause.
The exact moment before the leap.
Alec had always been driven by the impulse to explore, to move forward, to never stand still.
But that afternoon… something felt different.
"Another adventure," he thought, forcing a small smile.
But his gaze landed on a photo on the wall: his parents embracing, he and his siblings as kids, covered in ice cream, grinning like nothing else mattered.
A simple image. Yet it carried unexpected weight.
Freedom had always been his fuel.
But for the first time… it came with a touch of longing.
The doorbell rang downstairs.
Alec got up on instinct, almost as if running from his own thoughts.
He rushed down the stairs and opened the door.
No surprise: it was his mother.
Her hair pulled back in a loose bun, wearing a navy blue knit sweater and comfortable jeans.
Her brown eyes held that familiar expression — part warmth, part wisdom.
She knew. She always knew.
"Alec, have you started packing yet?" she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
He scratched his neck with his usual sheepish grin.
"Of course! I'm… strategizing. Organization is everything, right?"
They walked upstairs together.
She looked around the room in silence: messy bed, headphones tossed aside, sneakers on the floor.
Everything in that room screamed what he wouldn't admit — he was stalling.
She sat on the edge of the bed, watching her son.
"You're going to miss this place, you know?" she murmured, as if reading his mind.
Alec laughed. Too lightly. Too falsely.
"I'm a guy of the world, Mom. Born for it."
He raised his eyebrows, trying to sound confident.
But his voice cracked — just for a moment.
But it was enough.
She stood, walked over, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
A simple gesture.
But it was enough to dismantle the invisible wall he had built.
"No matter where you go, Alec. I'll always be here.
And you'll always have a place to come back to. Got it?"
He didn't answer right away. Just nodded.
His heart beating harder than he liked.
"I know, Mom. Thank you…"
He gave a half-smile and took a deep breath.
"Now let me start before you find out I haven't even sorted out my socks."
She laughed, kissed his forehead gently, and before leaving, said:
"Go all in, my son.
And remember: the world is big, but our love follows you to every corner."
Alec said nothing.
When the door closed, he looked at the backpack tossed in the corner.
Something inside him had shifted.
He walked over, picked up a pile of clothes, and started folding.
With more care than usual.
The mess was still there.
The room was still the same.
But Alec wasn't.
The adventure was just beginning.