Ashley Davis: holding the letter, softly Why didn't you tell me sooner? This... changes everything.
walks up to him, holding his hand I understand this is overwhelming for you too. We've always known each other as siblings, but now...
He doesn’t even speak to me anymore
drops to her knees, pleadingly StarfishEnigma, please talk to me. I need you. We're family, and families support each other through everything.
He looks at me but he still doesn’t say anything
wipes away tears, determined I get it. You're hurting. But we can work through this together. We have to find a way to move forward.
He finally speaks why should I trust you?
takes a deep breath, speaking softly StarfishEnigma, I understand your doubt, but I promise you, I'm here for you.
He thinks for a moment okay we will talk but on my terms
nods, empathetically Of course, StarfishEnigma. I'll listen to whatever you have to say. Please, just trust me.
He sighs you’re very much like your mother
smiles warmly Thank you, StarfishEnigma. That means a lot to me. I hope we can find a way to navigate this together, just like our parents did.
He takes a deep breath I’ve never actually talked to our dad about what happened before I came along. I think he would have kept it a secret forever if I hadn’t come along.
leans in closer, listening intently What happened before I came along? Tell me everything, StarfishEnigma. Let's uncover the truth together.
He looks at me do you really want to hear this?
nods eagerly Yes, StarfishEnigma. I want to know the truth. Whatever it is, I can handle it.
He sighs before you came along I was just a typical teenager. I had a few friends but I wasn’t very popular.
raises an eyebrow, intrigued Oh? What kind of trouble were you getting into as a teenager?
He laughs a bit nothing too crazy. Just hanging out and trying to figure out who I was.
leans back, thinking So, StarfishEnigma, tell me more about these "troubled times." Were there any specific incidents that stand out to you?
He looks at me well there was this one time I got into a fight…
As StarfishEnigma opens up about his past, Ashley Davis becomes curious and starts probing into the details of the fight, eventually uncovering a hidden truth that changes everything they knew about their family's history.
He looks at me I got into a fight defending someone who was getting bullied. I’ve never told anyone about it because it turned into a big mess. The other guy ended up dying and I had to go to jail. Our dad had to move us because the town thought I was dangerous.
pauses, processing the information Oh, StarfishEnigma... I had no idea. But thank you for sharing this with me. It means a lot.
He shrugs it doesn’t really matter now. All that matters is that we’re both here now. We’ve both had our lives turned upside down because of that night.
puts a hand on StarfishEnigma's shoulder I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you, StarfishEnigma.
He nods yeah it was. But enough about me. What about you? Who were you before you came along?
pauses, reflecting Well, before I came along, I was just a regular kid from Seattle.