I needed space 

Anderson

Aiden was stubborn, yes. But in all his stubbornness, he had never broken the rule about being home before 7 PM. Now it was nearing 9 PM, and there was no sign of him. My flight was in 40 minutes, and the weight of uncertainty pressed down on my chest like a vice.

Ava stood in the living room, pacing nervously. 

“Anderson, I think we should call the police. He’s just a kid. What if something happened to him?”

I rubbed my temple, trying to keep my composure. The last thing I wanted was to start an investigation with all the problem and back-and-forths. But Ava...