Raising a fourteen-year-old daughter often feels like living in the space between trust and worry. When she began spending time with Noah—a boy who was unfailingly polite and respectful—I reminded myself that growing up requires freedom. Yet unease lingered. Every Sunday they disappeared into her room, closing the door behind them. What unsettled me most wasn’t noise, but silence. No music, no laughter, no sound at all. And silence, in a parent’s mind, can invite too many questions.
One afternoon, the quiet pressed too hard. I set aside the laundry and walked down the hall, convincing myself I was simply being responsible. I opened the door expecting to interrupt something I’d need to correct. Instead, I froze.
continued on next page
ADVERTISEMENT
