The drive took nearly three hours.
Liora hadn't told anyone she was going.
Not Daniel.
Not Mrs. Agnes.
Not even Caelan.
She simply wanted to see her mother.
As the city disappeared behind her, the roads became quieter. Endless fields stretched beneath the afternoon sun, broken only by clusters of wildflowers and old oak trees.
Finally...
The familiar white cottage came into view.
It sat at the edge of a small lake, surrounded by a white picket fence and rows of blooming lavender.
It looked nothing like the cramped apartment they had once called home.
It looked...
Peaceful.
Liora smiled.
---
Before she could knock, the front door swung open.
"There you are!"
Her mother hurried onto the porch, a gardening hat sitting crookedly on her head and a pair of gloves covered in soil
