A Decision Made in a Moment
When Lila began gathering her things, clearly expecting that her employment had ended, I surprised us both.
“You’re not leaving,” I said.
She froze. “Sir?”
“If childcare falls through again, bring her,” I continued, my voice steadier than I felt. “This house has been quiet for too long.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and for a moment she could not speak.
What I did not tell her was that in the space of a single morning, the silence that had defined my life no longer felt like protection — it felt like a prison I had constructed myself.
