CHAPTER 45
Nine days later
“Five. Four. Three. Two. One.”
Kennedy forced herself to join the countdown while the small crowd in Carl and Sandy’s living room watched the ball dropping on the television screen.
“Happy New Year!” everyone shouted, and Kennedy was hugged at least a dozen times, her ears ringing with the sound of the party horns Woong seemed particularly eager to use to welcome in the New Year.
Kennedy’s mom handed her a glass of sparkling cider. “Drink up, honey. You know, New Year’s a time for fresh starts.” She lowered her voice. “And you know we all want you to be happy now, right?”
No, it was Kennedy who was trying to make her mom happy. That’s why she suffered through a noisy pageant and an over-crowded Christmas Eve dinner and a plethora of presents at her parents’
