Hailee's POV
The flight home felt longer than it really was.
Even though the jet was quiet and smooth, my mind was loud, full of worries that refused to rest.
Peter sat across from me, reading something on his tablet, while the boys stared out the window. None of them spoke. Not even Ozzy.
I kept glancing at them, wanting to say something, anything, but every word felt heavy, trapped somewhere in my throat.
The silence was worse than noise.
It was cold.
It reminded me of the distance I had built between us, a distance made from lies, secrets, and years of fear.
I looked outside at the clouds drifting by and whispered softly, "We're almost home."
No one answered.
Peter looked up from his tablet and gave me a small smile. "You'll be fine, Hailee," he said gently. "Stop worrying."
I forced a weak smile. "I can't help it," I said honestly. "It's been ten years, Peter. Ten years since I left that place. Since our father banished me."
