POV: Milo
6:20 AM — He's Gone
The house was quieter than usual.
Not the normal quiet — not the sleepy, early morning kind. This was different. Heavier.
Mom was already in the kitchen, but she wasn't making breakfast. She was just… standing there. Staring at the counter. Her coffee sat untouched.
My dad hadn't come downstairs yet.
I opened the fridge. Grabbed juice. Closed it.
Still no one said a word.
Then she finally spoke.
"He's not here."
I turned. "Aaron?"
She nodded. But she didn't look at me. "He left last night."
6:23 AM — The Letter
She handed it to me.
A folded piece of notebook paper, already creased at the edges. I didn't want to read it, but I also had to.
I'm going away for a bit.
Please don't try to find me.
This isn't your fault.
It's mine.
I lowered the letter. My jaw tightened.
"I didn't think he'd actually do it," I muttered.
"Do what?" she asked.
"Disappear."
6:35 AM — What I Really Wanted to Say
What I wanted to scream:
