ling, already dreading the day ahead. The air smelled faintly of coffee and toast, drifting in from the kitchen, a c

eighborhood was just as I remembered: pristine lawns, uniform mailboxes, a picture of suburban perfection. It looked the sa

ccable, her back straight as though years of carrying the weight of everyone else's expectations

said, her tone neu

elf a cup of coffee. The warmth in my

ging her fiancé and his family for lunch.

ppearances. I nodded, taking a sip of the bitter liq

asks, anything to avoid the inevitable confrontation with the people who had unknowingly shaped so much of my pain. By

her arms outstretched. She looked perfect, as always, her hair styled to f

her embrace, her perfume ove

far more familiar. Ethan. The sight of him sent a jolt through me, though I quickly masked it with indifference. His presence here sho

in this house. I stayed in the background, observing, my emotions a tumultuous sea beneath the surface. Ethan's pre

and her fiancé dominated the discussion, their voices bright and full of excitement as they recounted their plans for

. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, though there was an edge to her t

lied simply.

g?" she pressed, h

t's goi

rity. She turned her attention back to her fiancé, leav

ound myself alone with Ethan. He was standing by the window in the living room, his gaze fixed on someth

t?" he said, his voice

view outside was unremarkable, just the same street I had walked countless tim

thoughtful. "You've changed, Allita. B

is gaze. There was something in his eyes, a depth that made me feel expo

e said, a faint smil

nspoken understanding that neither of us needed to voice. For the first time since I had arrived, I felt a flicker of

k in their moment. When evening came, I retreated to the guest room, grateful for the solitude. But sleep di

here, surrounded by the ghosts of my old life, I realized how much I had buried rather than dealt with. Th

a's voice, light and carefree, mingling with the deeper tones of her fiancé and their guests.

his trip was more than just a reluctant obligation. It felt like the beginning of something, though what that was, I couldn't say. All I kne