A photo that blinks. A voice that echoes. A soul split across centuries. Lucas never expected to find himself in the eyes of a ghost—but when the past refuses to stay silent, he must decide what he's willing to break to move forward.

She's left him behind, moved far away, buried him and his secrets in the darkest corner she could find. So why is he on her porch, knock, knock, knocking on her door again?

What if you met yourself as a child? Would she/he be proud of you and of the choices you made in your life? Or would she/he be ashamed of who you turned her/him into?

This short story focuses on a conversation between the same girl at 7 and 27 years old. A little spoiler: the little girl's not happy.

In the heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting mini-novella, The Echoes of Laughter, we follow John's extraordinary journey through the tumultuous landscape of mental illness, loss, and the enduring power of human connection. From the tender age of one, when his father's tragic passing casts a long shadow over his life, to his present day at 35, where he stands on the precipice of newfound hope and self-acceptance, John's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.