Chapter 97 —Because sometimes, Dad... love isn't forever.

Narrator:

The morning dragged on unbearably slowly in that silent house. Aylin came down the stairs barefoot, a cup of coffee in her hands and a lost expression on her face, her hair tied back haphazardly and a baggy sweatshirt hanging over one of her shoulders. She hadn't turned on the music. She hadn't turned on the television. Only the faint drip of the faucet in the kitchen and the ticking of the clock marked the passage of time.

Aylin had spent the night in silence, enveloped in a thick sadness that kept her awake. The house was empty, too quiet. Her grandmother and brother had not yet arrived, and although she knew they would soon, the loneliness weighed heavily on her.

Mid-morning, the doorbell rang. It was Dominic.

“Good morning,” he greeted her with a discreet smile as he held a bag of groceries. “I'm not here to bother you. Just to make sure you have what you need.”

Aylin frowned but stepped aside to let him in.

“You c