Erin was quiet as always.
But this time, the silence carried something deeper something that hurt more than he could understand.
Half of his face was now wrapped in cloth, but he didn't care.
Pain was just another thing he learned to carry.
What mattered most to him wasn't the burn…
It was seeing his parents together again smiling, talking, anything but fighting.
He walked slowly toward his mother's room.
The morning light slipped through the cracks of the door.
Inside, she sat on the floor, her hands pressed against her face, her shoulders trembling.
Erin stood there for a moment, unsure. Then, with his small voice, he said,
"Mom… why are you crying? I'm okay. I'm okay now."
His mother froze, her breath catching in her throat.
When she turned toward him, tears had already found their way down her cheeks.
"Erin…" she whispered.
"I'm sorry, my son. I'm so sorry."
She reached out to him, her fingers shaking, afraid to touch his bandaged face.
She wanted to cry again, but she stopped herself
covering her mouth, turning away, trying to hide the guilt that consumed her.
It was the first time Erin had ever seen his mother cry like that.
And even though he was only five, he felt like it was his fault.
He didn't know why only that her tears made his heart ache.
Later that day, people from the village came to visit.
Voices filled the house soft, worried, full of pity.
Mr. Gareth, his wife Clara, and even old man Taro from across the river were there,
trying to calm the tension that still hung between Erin's parents.
Goru and Anna arrived too, followed by Twilight, Edwin, and Jacques.
They didn't say much that made sense they were just kids, after all
but their laughter and silly words filled the room with something warm again.
Erin listened quietly as they talked and played around him,
and for a moment, the house didn't feel so heavy anymore.
When the guests had left and the sun began to set,
Erin's mother and father finally sat together in silence.
Then, like the end of a long storm,
his father sighed and placed a hand on his mother's shoulder.
"Let's… try again," he said quietly.
His mother nodded. No more words were needed.
That evening, as the last light faded from the sky,
Erin felt something he hadn't felt in a long time
peace.
It wasn't perfect, but it was enough.