Chapter 12: Exhaling
When Peter finally stepped back inside, the house was agonizingly quiet. He locked the heavy wooden door behind him, slid the deadbolt into place, and walked to the foot of the stairs.
“Drew? It’s clear. He’s gone.”
A minute passed before the lock on the upstairs bedroom clicked. Drew descended the stairs alone, his face pale and drawn tight with anxiety. He looked like he was bracing for a blow. He stopped on the bottom step, refusing to meet Peter’s eyes.
“I’ll pack our things,” Drew said, his voice hollow and defeated. “We can be out of here in ten minutes. I’m sorry he found us. I’m sorry I brought this to your door.”
Peter felt his heart break all over again. He walked over to the stairs and sat down on the second step, forcing Drew to look down at him rather than up.
“Why would you pack your things?” Peter asked gently.
“Because he knows we’re here,” Drew snapped, a desperate edge bleeding into his tone. “He’ll come back. Or he’ll send the cops. He’s going to make your life a living hell, Peter. We’re just... we’re a liability. People don't keep liabilities around when it gets hard.”
“Drew, look at me,” Peter said, his voice firm but overflowing with warmth. He waited until the boy’s frightened eyes finally met his. “I meant what I said on the porch that night. You chose me, and I choose you. Both of you. I don't care who comes up that driveway. I don't care how hard it gets. You are not a burden, and you are not leaving.”
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Drew stared at him, searching for the lie. He had spent his entire life waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for the adults in his life to decide he wasn't worth the trouble. But in Peter’s steady, unwavering gaze, he found only a fierce, unconditional resolve.
Slowly, the walls Drew had spent years building began to crack. His knees buckled slightly, and he sat down heavily on the step next to Peter. He buried his face in his hands, and for the first time since he had taken his sister and run into the night, Drew cried. They were the ugly, gasping sobs of a child who had been forced to carry the weight of the world for far too long. Peter simply put a heavy, reassuring arm around the boy's shoulders, pulling him in, letting him completely fall apart so he could finally begin to piece himself back together.
