Life abroad was more peaceful than I had expected.
Nathan had a house in the suburbs with a small yard.
Mia was smart. She settled into her new school quickly. In less than 3 months, she could already banter and bicker with the neighborhood kids in Asterian.
I found a job nearby with regular nine-to-five hours. On weekends, I took Mia to the park to feed the ducks.
Our days were ordinary, but I felt more settled than I had in years.
Then one evening, I went to pick Mia up from school and spotted someone standing beside her.
It was Isabelle.
She had lost a lot of weight. In a gray coat, she stood outside the school gate with her head bent as she spoke to Mia.
Mia looked up at her, clearly confused.
I hurried over.
"Mia."
Mia turned and ran to grab my hand.
"Mom, Godmother said s
