GERALD

As soon as my mother walked in, the air thickened with tension. My father, with a tone that carried years of pent-up frustration, repeated his question, "Where have you been?"

Caught off guard by my presence, my mother's initial surprise melted into a warm embrace. "Gerald, I had no idea you'd be here," she exclaimed, her eyes glossing over the situation. "I would have come home earlier if I knew! It's been a while, dear son!"

But my father wasn't willing to let the moment pass. His voice, a hint of hurt and insistence, cut through, "Where have you been?"

My mother turned to him, her forehead creasing as...