"Gone?" Elara asked, wiping her hands on a towel. "You probably left it in your room, honey."
But Puck knew he wouldn't be back. Not this time. The new family could have their compromises, their silent dinners, and their polished lies. He had a father’s memory to find—even if it was buried in a landfill. And he had a new rule now: Mom comes first no longer applied. From now on, Puck came first. MomComesFirst - Little Puck - The New Family -2...
Elara stepped between them. "Let's all just calm down. Puck, you can be very emotional. Derek, did you see the puck?" The new family could have their compromises, their
Something inside Puck snapped, but not into anger. Into ice. He had always believed in the rule of three: Mom, then him, then the world. But the rule had changed. Mom came first, yes—but not for him anymore. For Marcus. For Derek. For the illusion of a perfect home. From now on, Puck came first
The air left the room. Puck’s vision tunneled. Junk. His father’s last gift, the only memory he had of the man who’d died of a heart attack when Puck was four—the puck he’d held during every nightmare, every school play, every moment of grief—was junk.
Puck paused on the porch. He turned back just once, not to look at Derek, but at his mother. "You always said mom comes first," he said quietly. "But I thought that meant you'd come first for me. I didn't know it meant they'd come first over me."
"Mom," Puck said, his voice quieter than he intended.