Is That Mom

Part 10 of Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Ethan's Growing Determination

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Part 10:

A Lonely Decision

The early morning light seeped through the thin curtains, casting a pale glow across Ethan’s room. He stood by the window, staring out at the quiet street below, his backpack slung over one shoulder. The house was silent, almost unnaturally so, as if it was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. For Ethan, the silence was suffocating, a constant reminder of the decision he had made, and the weight of it settled heavily on his chest.

He had spent the night packing, going over his plan again and again in his head, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. His backpack was filled with essentials—clothes, snacks, a bottle of water, his notebook, and, most importantly, the photograph that had sparked this journey. It was the only clue he had, and he wasn’t going to let it out of his sight. He had also tucked a small amount of money into his wallet, just enough to get him to the nearest town, where he could figure out the next steps.

Ethan had thought about leaving a note, something to explain why he was leaving, but every time he tried to write it, the words felt hollow, like they weren’t enough to convey the depth of what he was feeling. How could he explain the desperate need to find answers, the fear that had been gnawing at him for so long, the sense of betrayal and isolation? In the end, he decided against it. He wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to put those emotions into words, and besides, he didn’t want to give his grandmother a chance to talk him out of it.

He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand. It was just after six in the morning, and he knew his grandmother would be waking up soon. If he was going to leave, he had to do it now, before she came downstairs and saw him. The thought of facing her, of trying to explain why he was leaving, was too much for him to bear. He couldn’t deal with her sadness, her disappointment. Not right now.

Ethan’s heart clenched as he thought about his grandmother. She had been the one constant in his life, the person who had taken care of him, who had raised him after his mother disappeared. She had always been there, and he knew that leaving like this would hurt her. But he also knew that staying wasn’t an option anymore. He needed answers, and she wasn’t going to give them to him. He had to find them on his own, even if it meant breaking her heart in the process.

He took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. The floorboards creaked under his feet, the sound echoing in the stillness of the house. For a moment, he hesitated, his hand resting on the banister, as if he was waiting for something to stop him, to pull him back. But nothing happened. The house remained silent, and the only sound was the pounding of his own heartbeat.

Ethan made his way down the stairs, careful to avoid the spots he knew would creak. He moved slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last, as if the weight of his decision was trying to hold him back. When he reached the bottom, he paused, glancing around the living room. It was exactly as he had left it the night before, but somehow it felt different, as if it was no longer his home.

His eyes lingered on the family photographs that lined the wall, pictures of him growing up, of his grandmother at different stages of her life. There was one of his mother, taken long before he was born, her face lit up with a smile that was full of life and hope. It was hard to reconcile that image with the mystery that now surrounded her, the questions that had taken over his thoughts.

He had always felt a connection to his mother, even though he couldn’t remember her. Growing up, he had been surrounded by stories of her kindness, her laughter, but those stories had only made her absence more painful. Now, as he stood there, he realized that he was no longer content with those memories. He needed more than stories. He needed the truth, even if it meant leaving behind everything he had ever known.

Ethan’s hand tightened around the strap of his backpack as he turned away from the photographs and headed for the front door. He hesitated again, his hand hovering over the doorknob, as a wave of doubt washed over him. Was he making a mistake? What if he couldn’t find the answers he was looking for? What if he found something he wasn’t ready to face?

But he pushed those thoughts aside. He had come too far to back down now. He couldn’t live in the shadows of half-truths and secrets anymore. He had to know. With a resolve that felt both fragile and unbreakable, he turned the doorknob and opened the door, stepping out into the cool morning air.

The street was empty, the sky a pale gray as the sun began to rise. Ethan stood on the porch for a moment, taking it all in, as if he was seeing it for the first time. He had spent his entire life in this neighborhood, playing in the streets, walking to school, but now it felt distant, like a part of his past that he was finally ready to leave behind.

He took one last look at the house, his eyes drifting up to the window of his grandmother’s room. He could imagine her waking up, going through her morning routine, completely unaware that he was about to disappear from her life. The thought made his chest tighten with guilt, but he forced himself to look away. He couldn’t afford to think about that now.

Ethan turned and walked down the steps, his footsteps echoing in the quiet morning. He didn’t know when he would be back, or if he would even be able to come back. But he knew that this was something he had to do, and he was prepared to face whatever consequences came with it.

As he reached the sidewalk, he heard a soft creak behind him, and he turned to see his grandmother standing in the doorway, her robe wrapped tightly around her. She looked small, almost fragile, as she stood there, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. For a moment, neither of them said anything, the silence stretching out between them like a chasm that neither could cross.

“Ethan?” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Where are you going?”

Ethan’s throat tightened, and he struggled to find the words. He had rehearsed this moment in his head a thousand times, but now that it was here, everything he had planned to say felt meaningless. “I…I need to find her,” he said finally, his voice shaky but determined. “I need to know the truth.”

His grandmother’s eyes filled with tears, and she took a step forward, as if she was going to reach out to him. “Ethan, please…don’t do this. You don’t understand—”

“I have to,” he interrupted, his voice stronger now. “I can’t stay here and keep pretending everything’s okay. I need answers, and you’re not giving them to me.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and painful, and Ethan could see the hurt on his grandmother’s face. But he couldn’t take them back. He didn’t want to.

His grandmother looked down, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of everything was too much for her to bear. “I just wanted to protect you,” she said softly. “I thought it was better if you didn’t know.”

Ethan’s heart ached as he listened to her, but he didn’t let himself waver. “I don’t need protection,” he said. “I need the truth.”

For a moment, it looked like she was going to say something else, but then she just nodded, a silent acknowledgment that there was nothing left to say. Ethan felt a pang of sadness as he looked at her, knowing that he was leaving her behind, but he also felt a sense of relief. He had made his decision, and now there was no turning back.

He turned away and started walking, his footsteps steady and determined. He didn’t look back, even though he could feel his grandmother’s eyes on him, watching as he walked away. The street stretched out ahead of him, and he had no idea where it would lead, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was moving toward something real, something that could finally give him the answers he had been searching for.

As he reached the end of the block, he allowed himself one last glance over his shoulder. His grandmother was still standing in the doorway, her figure small and distant against the morning light. Ethan’s heart twisted, but he forced himself to keep moving. He had made his choice, and now all he could do was hope that it would lead him to the truth he needed.

With a deep breath, he turned the corner and disappeared down the street, the photograph tucked safely in his pocket, and his heart set on a path that he knew would change everything.