That night, as Peter lay in bed, the stillness of the house felt heavier than usual. He had only offered Natalie and her children shelter for one night, but already his mind raced with doubts. The thought of strangers in his garage unsettled him, despite his best intentions.
As the hours ticked by, faint noises began to filter through the silence. A soft thud, then the creak of something shifting. Peter sat up, his heartbeat quickening. “It’s probably nothing,” he told himself, but the unfamiliar sounds were enough to spur him into action.