37. Shadows & Secrets-II

|| Lilac’s POV || Dad and Mom turned their gazes to Ezra, and when they saw the pictures on the camera, their faces hardened. Dad’s sharp inhale was the only indication of his anger, while Mom’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Ezra, explain this,” Dad demanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. Ezra looked between us, his face a mixture of guilt and frustration. “Relax, you all. I just wanted to give Lilac a little surprise, okay? I know a lot has happened recently, and Lilac has been through so much. Though she smiles before us, I know it's hard on her. So I thought I’d get her the video games she used to play.” He turned to me, his eyes pleading. “I knew you liked them. I thought it would cheer you up. But the games are hard to find, so I met up with this guy I found on the internet.” He searched his pocket and threw a small box at me. It was the same box in the picture. “Here, you can look for yourself.” I caught it, my hands trembling, and slowly opened the lid. Inside, restin