The Decision is Made

My breath stutters. I blink, trying to see if he is a dream, a figment of my imagination.

But he’s there, standing, real. He doesn’t look angry, just looks at me with a soft smile. He has one hand in his pocket, the other holding a bag slung over his shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” I repeat, tightening my fingers around the doorframe.

He smiles more, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I n