1
Lena’s POv
The first thing I noticed when I got out of the car was how quiet it was.
My mom had barely said a word to me on the drive. She was still mad about the divorce, or about me choosing to spend the summer with Dad’s older brother instead of staying with her. Honestly, I didn’t blame her. But I needed space. I couldn’t take her crying all the time, or her passive-aggressive sighs. I just wanted somewhere quiet. Somewhere normal.
Uncle Elias’s house sat on the edge of some small wooded town I’d barely heard of. The driveway was gravel, the front porch creaked, and the air smelled like wet wood.
He stepped out of the house before we even rang the bell. “Lena,” he said, his eyes moving from me, to my mom, and then back. His voice was deeper than I remembered.
“Uncle Elias,” I s
