I had known Troy since we were children.

Our families lived side by side, so our lives grew together naturally—same backyard games, same schools, the same familiar rhythms. Summers felt endless back then, filled with scraped knees, late sunsets, and the certainty that the world was safe. School dances followed. Then adulthood arrived so quietly we barely noticed.

Looking back now, I realize how perfect it all seemed—and how perfection always hides something underneath.

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