Is That Mom

Part 9 of Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Ethan's Growing Determination

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Part 9:

Breaking Point

Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, the photograph lying next to him, its edges worn from the countless times he had held it. The room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of his laptop screen, which was still open on the forum page he had discovered. He stared blankly at the screen, the words blurring together as exhaustion settled deep into his bones. He hadn’t realized just how tired he was until now, when the adrenaline from his confrontation with his grandmother had finally begun to fade.

It was hard to believe how quickly everything had unraveled. Just days ago, he had been living a life of quiet routine, helping out around the house, preparing for school, and thinking that the biggest mystery in his life was why his grandmother always seemed sad when she thought he wasn’t looking. Now, he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down into a dark abyss, with no idea what lay at the bottom.

The photograph had become a symbol of everything he didn’t know. It was a tangible reminder of the mother he had never truly known, of the questions he had been too scared to ask, and of the secrets that had always lingered just beneath the surface. He picked it up and ran his fingers over the image, tracing the outline of his mother’s face. She looked so young, so happy, holding him as a baby. But the background—this place he couldn’t recognize—was like a wall separating him from her, a barrier that he had to break through if he was ever going to find out who she really was.

Ethan felt a wave of frustration wash over him. He had tried to do everything right, to be patient, to give his grandmother the chance to tell him the truth. But she had refused, and now he was left to piece it all together on his own. He was angry—angry at her for keeping him in the dark, angry at himself for not pushing harder, and angry at the world for taking his mother away from him in the first place.

He wanted to scream, to smash something, to do anything that might make him feel like he was in control of this situation. But he knew that none of it would help. It would just leave him feeling more empty, more lost. So instead, he clenched his fists and took a deep breath, trying to keep the rising tide of emotions at bay.

“Why won’t you just tell me?” he whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet room. “Why does it have to be so hard?”

He knew his grandmother thought she was protecting him, but he didn’t need protection. He needed the truth. And the longer she kept it from him, the more determined he became to find it on his own, even if it meant walking into a situation he wasn’t prepared for. Even if it meant going to that strange, off-the-grid community he had read about in the forum.

Ethan’s mind raced as he considered his options. He could wait, try to convince his grandmother one more time to tell him what she knew. But he had already tried that, and it had only ended in more frustration and more questions. No, he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to act.

He glanced at his laptop, his eyes scanning the forum thread that had led him here. It was old, dated back to the early 2000s, and most of the posts were cryptic, filled with vague references to a “community” that seemed to exist somewhere on the fringes of society. But one post, in particular, had caught his attention—a brief mention of a remote town that wasn’t on any map, a place where people went when they wanted to disappear.

Ethan’s heart pounded as he read the words again. It was a long shot, but it was the only lead he had. He didn’t know what he would find if he went there, or if he would find anything at all. But he had to try. Because if there was even a chance that this place was connected to his mother, then he couldn’t walk away from it.

The more he thought about it, the more the idea began to take shape in his mind. He could leave, take a bus to the nearest town, and then figure out a way to get to this remote community. He would bring the photograph with him, show it to people, and see if anyone recognized the place in the background. It was risky, and he had no idea what he was walking into, but it was better than sitting here, doing nothing, and letting the mystery consume him.

But as the plan solidified in his mind, so did the fear. What if he found out something he wasn’t ready to hear? What if the truth was worse than he imagined? For a moment, he felt paralyzed by the weight of those questions, as if they were pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He picked up the photograph again and stared at it, his eyes blurring with tears he hadn’t realized were there. He thought about all the times he had wished he could ask his mother about his childhood, about her life before he was born, about the things she had loved and the dreams she had. He had grown up hearing stories about her, but they were always from his grandmother’s perspective, and he wanted to know her for himself. To understand her, even if it was just a little bit.

Ethan felt a tear slip down his cheek, and he wiped it away angrily. He didn’t want to cry. He wanted to be strong, to be brave, but the truth was, he was scared. He was scared of what he might find, scared of what it would mean if his mother had left him on purpose, or if something terrible had happened to her. But he was even more scared of never knowing, of spending the rest of his life haunted by the same questions that had plagued him for years.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the silence of the room wash over him. Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at the photograph one more time. “I’m going to find you,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I promise.”

It was a promise he intended to keep, no matter how hard it was, no matter how much it hurt. Because if there was even a chance that he could find his mother, then he had to take it. He had to see this through, for her, for himself, and for all the years he had spent wondering.

As he sat there, Ethan realized that this was his breaking point. He could either let the fear control him, keep him stuck in the same place, or he could push through it and take control of his own fate. And for the first time in a long time, he felt a spark of determination flare to life within him, a flicker of hope that he had thought was long gone.

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or if he would even be able to find the community he was looking for. But he knew one thing for sure—he couldn’t give up. Not now, not when he was so close. He had to keep going, even if it meant facing the truth alone.

Ethan got up from the bed and walked over to his desk, pulling out a notebook and a pen. He began to jot down everything he knew, every piece of information he had gathered, every detail that might help him on his search. It wasn’t much, but it was a start, and that was all he needed.

As he wrote, the fear slowly began to fade, replaced by a sense of purpose. He still didn’t have all the answers, but he had a plan, and that was enough to keep him moving forward. He would pack a bag, buy a bus ticket, and follow the lead he had found. And maybe, just maybe, he would find the truth he had been searching for all these years.

By the time he finished, the sky outside had lightened, and the first rays of dawn were beginning to creep through the window. Ethan looked down at the notebook, then back at the photograph, and he felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. He was still scared, still unsure of what lay ahead, but he knew he had to keep going.

He reached out and picked up the photograph, tucking it into his pocket. “I’m coming, Mom,” he said softly. “I’m going to find you. No matter what.”