Chapter 2

Through the half-opened door, a familiar uniform came into view.

A cop was standing right outside.

"Are you home alone?" the cop gave me a suspicious look. "Why did it take you so long to open the door?"

I worked to suppress my emotions, making my voice sound as calm as possible.

"I was just hanging up some laundry on the balcony... Is there something I can help you with, officer?" I asked.

The cop didn't answer. Instead, he leaned in, as if he wanted to come inside.

I instinctively put out my hand to stop him, but realized that wasn't right and quickly stepped aside.

The cop walked into the living room, giving it a serious once-over.

'My heart was in my throat,' I thought, nervously clenching my palms.

Luckily, he was just taking a quick look around as part of his routine, and soon flashed a smile.

"Your neighbor called in a complaint. Apparently, your place gets really loud late at night, and it's disturbing their sleep," he said.

The cop pointed at the baby blanket hanging out on the balcony.

"Got a kid?" he asked.

"Yeah, a boy," I replied, my voice a bit strained. "He's only two months old, so things can get pretty noisy at night."

The cop gave a sympathetic nod.

"All new parents are all over the place at first. You'll figure out how to calm your baby soon enough," he said.

"My kid's four and a half now. Those first few years really wore me out," he added.

"It's nothing major. I'll file a report and try to smooth things over with your neighbor. They'll understand," he said.

I nodded gratefully, thinking about offering him a smoke, but when I reached into my pocket, it was empty.

I'd quit smoking almost a year ago, all for the sake of my wife and son's health.

Since I was being reasonable and had a good excuse, the cop was ready to head out.

"I'll head out now," he said, turning to leave. "Congrats on becoming a dad."

I forced a bitter smile. I'd heard that line plenty of times lately, but this one felt especially harsh.

Just as he was about to leave, the cop suddenly paused, slowly turned back, and shot me a piercing look.

"How come I haven't heard any sound from your baby?" he asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

'My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, but after the initial rush of anxiety, a strange calm washed over me, so much that even I was surprised by it.'

"He just finished his formula and I got him to sleep," I replied.

I managed to look just the right amount of embarrassed and awkward.

"Let's keep our voices down, yeah? Wouldn't want to wake him," I said.

The cop gave me a smirk, his eyes full of suspicion.

"Since I'm already here, let me check your home's safety measures. Now that you have a baby, you need to pay extra attention to safety," he said.

He ignored my reaction and marched straight toward the bedroom.

As soon as he opened the bedroom door, his nose wrinkled in distaste.

"Whoa, that's a strong smell of booze in here," he said.

He was getting suspicious. He was starting to doubt me.

My mind was blaring with warning bells, and I was drowning in panic and confusion.

Acting on instinct, I quietly grabbed a fruit knife from the table and moved closer behind the cop.

If...

My palms were drenched in sweat, my grip on the fruit knife growing tighter with every second.

Right before he could get to the crib, he suddenly froze in place.

He looked down at his uniform, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.

"I just got back from the hospital after handling a case. Haven't even had time to change," he muttered.

"Better not bring in any germs, wouldn't want your baby catching something," he added.

With that, he softened his steps and quietly walked out of the bedroom.

The cop's face showed clear apology.

"My bad for bothering you. I'll head out now. Let's not wake the baby," he said.

After closing the door and watching the cop's silhouette fade away down the hallway, all the strength drained out of me and I just collapsed to the floor.

The fruit knife I'd been hiding behind my back slipped from my hand and clattered to the ground. I slumped against the hard security door, feeling the slick coldness against my back.

When I touched my back, I realized my shirt was drenched in cold sweat.

I sat there for ages, completely drained, before finally hauling myself up, using the wall to steady myself.

No time to lose. I had to get my act together.

My wife would be home any minute now.

At that moment, I suddenly felt completely lost.

I didn't know what I was even doing.

Just yesterday, my family was blissful and perfect. Now, it was all coming undone right in front of me.

I couldn't even let myself picture what it'd be like when my wife found out the truth. I forced myself to push those thoughts away.

All I wanted was to keep this fake calm going just a little longer, to delay the blow-up that was bound to come.

But sooner or later, I'd have to face it all. 'Is there any point to what I'm doing?' I wondered.

Maybe... there's an easier way out.

I stepped onto the balcony and looked down over the edge.

Kids were trickling back home from school in the neighborhood, dragging their parents along and messing around by the flower beds.

The sunset wasn't blinding, but it didn't feel warm at all.