Chapter 7: Returning to the Scene
The morning sun filtered through the dusty living room windows, casting pale slants of light across the floorboards as Leo unlocked the front door and stepped back into the house. Buster was immediately there to greet him, letting out a low, happy rumble and pressing his massive head against Leo’s knee. Leo knelt to scratch behind the Rottweiler’s ears, grateful for the animal’s loyal presence. "Good boy, Buster. You guarded the fort well," Leo praised quietly. Looking around the hallway, the physical evidence of the night before was stark. The broken baby bottles had been swept into a corner by Leo before he left for the hospital, but scuff marks on the stairs and the lingering tension in the air remained palpable.
Derek’s presence was gone, but his chaotic energy still seemed to cling to the walls. Leo walked into the small kitchen to make coffee, noticing that Derek had taken his duffel bag and his old leather jacket, but had left behind a mess of unpaid utility bills and empty beer cans on the counter. Typical. Derek had never taken responsibility for anything in his life, always expecting someone else to clean up his mess. Leo tossed the bills into the recycling bin and poured himself a cup of black coffee, leaning against the counter as he mapped out the next steps. Maya was due to be discharged later this afternoon, and she couldn't return to an environment that felt unsafe, even with Derek gone.
The locks needed to be changed immediately. Derek still had a spare key somewhere, and given his unpredictable nature when cornered, Leo couldn't risk him walking back in while Maya was recovering. Leo pulled out his phone, searching for a local locksmith and checking his banking app. The balance was dangerously low, but he had enough set aside from his auto shop wages to cover the hardware change. He finished his coffee in silence, the quiet of the house a welcome relief compared to the shouting matches that used to define their mornings. It was time to build a real home for Maya and the baby, one stone at a time, starting with securing the front door against the ghosts of their past.
