Howard has spent his life alone. When a knock echoes through his quiet home, he opens the door to Kira, his first love. She holds out a worn red box. “I was supposed to give this to you all those years ago,” she says. Inside lies a secret that will break his heart — and heal it too.I was slouched in my favorite armchair, half-watching a rerun of an old sitcom, when the knock came.I didn’t think anything of it. The neighborhood kids were always stopping by, especially on weekdays, after I finished my bus route. I never had a family of my own so I appreciated the company.
They’d crowd around my porch, eager to hear stories or play board games in the yard. Those visits were the bright spots in my quiet life, filling the empty spaces between morning routes and evening silence.
“Coming!” I called out, shuffling toward the door.
Maybe it was little Tommy wanting to show me his latest science project, or Sarah asking for help with her math homework.
But when I opened that door, my whole world tilted sideways.
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