The Key My Son Had Been Guarding for Six Years

I protected Kiran from the worst of it, but behind the scenes, I worked double shifts, balanced bills, and hoped each month would be gentler than the last.

Yet while I was trying to hold everything together, my husband had quietly placed something else in motion.

A House Filled With Questions

Kiran told me the key was meant for his grandfather’s house. A house I had never been welcome in, despite years of trying to build bridges. Though the weathered structure had always looked sturdy from the outside, something about it held long-standing tension and strained family history.

Still, the key had been entrusted to my son, and we followed his father’s instructions.

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