The day started like any other.
Stephen sat on a blanket in the backyard, enjoying the warm afternoon sun while Mark zoomed around him, his boundless energy as unstoppable as ever. Their mother sat nearby, watching with a fond smile as Mark tried, once again, to get Stephen to crawl faster.
Then the doorbell rang.
Stephen didn't react much—he was still too young to understand what that meant—but Mark did. He froze mid-run, glancing at their mother with a questioning look.
She stiffened.
That was new.
Mark noticed it, too. "Who is it?"
Their mother didn't answer right away. Instead, she stood and walked toward the house with a careful, measured pace. "Stay here," she told Mark firmly.
Stephen watched as Mark plopped down beside him, frowning. "We never get visitors."
Stephen, of course, had no answer. But he could feel the shift in the air, the way the warmth of the afternoon was suddenly edged with something else. Something uneasy.
_ _ ♛ _ _
Inside the house, Debbie opened the door, her expression carefully neutral. The man standing on the porch was tall, dressed in a plain suit, with a face that didn't seem to fit together quite right. His scars twisted across his skin, his single eye studying her with polite disinterest.
"Mrs. Grayson," he greeted.
Her grip on the door tightened. "Cecil."
Cecil Stedman offered a small, unreadable smile. "Mind if I come in?"
She did mind. She minded very much. But she stepped aside anyway, allowing him into the house. "Nolan's in the back."
"Of course he is."
_ _ ♛ _ _
Outside, Stephen continued basking in the sunlight, but Mark had grown restless. He stood, bouncing on his feet, craning his neck toward the house. "I wanna see who it is."
Stephen just blinked up at him.
Mark huffed. "Fine, stay here." And with that, he bolted toward the house.
Stephen, despite himself, let out a small whine as the comforting warmth of his brother's presence disappeared. He didn't like being left alone, not even for a moment.
_ _ ♛ _ _
Inside, Mark skidded to a halt just as their father entered the living room. Nolan took one look at the man in the suit and his entire posture changed.
It wasn't a dramatic shift. To a stranger, it might have seemed like nothing. But Debbie saw it. She saw the way his shoulders squared, the way his jaw tightened just slightly.
Nolan didn't like being surprised.
"Cecil," he said evenly.
Cecil nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Nolan."
A brief silence stretched between them. Mark glanced between the two men, frowning. "Who's this guy?"
"Go outside, Mark," Debbie said quickly.
Mark scowled. "But—"
"Now."
He huffed but obeyed, stomping back toward the yard.
Stephen was exactly where he had left him, blinking up at the sky, his chubby hands grasping at nothing. Mark flopped onto the grass beside him with a loud sigh. "Grown-ups are so weird."
Stephen cooed in agreement.
_ _ ♛ _ _
Back inside, the atmosphere had turned heavy.
Cecil didn't sit. He rarely did, especially in houses like this. He glanced around before settling his gaze back on Nolan. "I was in the neighbourhood."
Nolan crossed his arms. "You never just drop by."
Cecil smirked. "Figured I'd see how things were going. You've got a new kid now."
Nolan didn't react. Debbie, however, stepped forward slightly, standing just a little closer to her husband. "Stephen's fine."
Cecil nodded. "I'm sure he is. Mark's a good kid, too." He tilted his head slightly. "Bet he's a handful."
Debbie's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Cecil?"
Cecil let out a breath, then cut straight to the point. "We both know I have to keep tabs on things, Nolan."
"That so?" Nolan's tone was calm, but there was something dangerous lurking underneath it. "And what exactly are you keeping tabs on?"
Cecil smiled, but it wasn't friendly. "You, mostly."
Silence.
Debbie's fingers curled into the fabric of her sweater.
Cecil's eye flicked toward her, then back to Nolan. "You know how it is. Just making sure everything's in order."
Nolan exhaled slowly. "Everything's fine."
Cecil held his gaze for a moment longer, then nodded. "Glad to hear it." He turned toward the door. "I'll see myself out."
Debbie followed, ensuring he actually left before shutting the door behind him. When she turned back to Nolan, her expression was tight. "He's watching us."
"I know."
She let out a slow breath. "I don't want him near the boys."
Nolan's eyes darkened. "He won't be."
_ _ ♛ _ _
Outside, Mark was still complaining about adults and their secrets. "I bet it's some government guy," he grumbled, lying flat on his back. "They always show up in movies when something's weird."
Stephen, oblivious to the tension in the house, simply grabbed a fistful of grass and stuffed it in his mouth.
Mark gagged. "Ew! No! Gross!"
He swiped the grass away before Stephen could eat it, causing Stephen to let out a high-pitched wail of betrayal.
Their mother came back out onto the porch just as Mark was attempting to soothe his crying brother. She gave Mark a knowing look. "What did you do?"
"He tried to eat the lawn! I saved him!"
Debbie sighed, picking Stephen up, gently rocking him back and forth until his cries quieted.
From the doorway, Nolan watched them, his eyes lingering on Stephen for a moment before shifting toward the gate, where Cecil had disappeared minutes earlier.
Something had changed today. Something small, but significant.
And Nolan didn't like it.
End of Chapter 5