Momcomesfirst - Little Puck - The New Family -2... -

Two months had passed since the wedding. Two months since his mom, Elara, had smiled that new, wide smile and said, "Puck, it’s time for a new chapter." The chapter was named Marcus. And Marcus came with a son: Derek, a broad-shouldered, lacrosse-playing senior who smelled of cologne and arrogance. The new family was a puzzle where Puck’s piece no longer fit.

Puck stood at the bottom of the stairs, clutching the worn leather hockey puck his late father had given him. It was his totem, the only thing that felt real. His mom was in the kitchen, stirring a pot of chili. Marcus was reading a financial report in his leather armchair. Derek was sprawled on the sofa, watching a game on the big TV—the same TV Puck used to watch old sci-fi marathons with his mom every Friday.

Elara looked up. Her eyes were tired, ringed with the effort of keeping everyone happy. "What is it, sweetheart?" MomComesFirst - Little Puck - The New Family -2...

The air left the room. Puck’s vision tunneled. Junk. His father’s last gift, the only memory he had of the man who’d died of a heart attack when Puck was four—the puck he’d held during every nightmare, every school play, every moment of grief—was junk.

"No." Puck’s voice hardened. "I left it on the mantel. Right next to the clock. The same place I’ve left it every night for ten years." Two months had passed since the wedding

Puck turned and walked to the front door. He didn't run. He didn't cry. He opened the closet, pulled out his old hockey bag, and began stuffing it with a hoodie, a phone charger, and a granola bar.

Derek finally looked up, his eyes flat and amused. "How should I know? Maybe the ‘new family’ ghost took it." The new family was a puzzle where Puck’s

But Puck knew he wouldn't be back. Not this time. The new family could have their compromises, their silent dinners, and their polished lies. He had a father’s memory to find—even if it was buried in a landfill. And he had a new rule now: Mom comes first no longer applied. From now on, Puck came first.