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“Had to go all the way into the city to grab milk. The general store was out,” I hear my sister sing out as she walks toward us. She stops, looking at me.

“Ada?” she squeals, throwing herself at me. I hug her before holding her at arm’s length.

“You look great,” I tell her, and she truly does. She has gained weight, and her skin is glowing.

“You lose weight, Ada? Looking a bit skinny,” she says, tugging on my now loose clothes before hugging me again.

“So, you’re back for good? Been quiet around here. Hey, boss men,” she says, giving Cyrus and Eli a wave.

“Not sure yet,” I tell her since they are still here listening in.

We chat a bit about work, and she is excited about me working with her. She is doing great, and I can tell Maya is stoked about having her mother back in her life, making me wonder if I am interrupting their lives by coming back.

When Eli gets a text message, he pulls his phone from his pocket, looking at it.

“Our ride is here. We have to get going,” he says, looking at me.

Sadness starts bleeding into me through the bond.

“Come out with us, Addie,” Cyrus says, grabbing my hand and squeezing my fingers.

I nod, walking them out to their ride.

“Remember to answer your phone when we ring, please. And if you want to come home, ring us, and we will fly back and get you,” Cyrus says before crushing me against his chest.

Eli walks over to me before pulling me to him, though he doesn’t say anything. His arms wrap around me before he kisses my head and lets go. He gets in the car, and I feel terrible, his emotions all over the place.

“We will see you soon, but please keep in contact,” Cyrus says, getting in the back.

Eli won’t even look at me, but Cyrus gives me a nod before the car pulls out of the driveway and heads down the road. Sighing, I watch them leave before turning and heading inside.

Going to my room, I find everything still where I left it. I start unpacking and putting things away. My mother comes in and closes the door before helping me.

“You okay?” she asks.

I bite my lip, shaking my head.

“Things will get better. You will get past this, Ada,” she says, and I nod.

We unpack in silence. It is good just having her company.

When we are done, I go and help mom cook dinner like I used to do when living here. I’ve wanted to come back here so desperately, but I feel out of place here, too, making me wonder if I would ever feel comfortable anywhere.

I will make it work. This is where I belong, I keep reminding myself.

I help set the table while mom dishes out dinner before we all sit down to eat. I barely touch my food, my appetite gone, as I listen to my sister talk about life. I try to pay attention, yet my mind is consumed with more depressing matters.

“You alright, Ada? You barely touched your food,” Taylor says.

“Yep, just tired. I think I might go have a shower and get ready for work tomorrow.”

“Are you going back tomorrow?” my mother asks, a little shocked.

“Yeah, I don’t want to sit around the house all day,” I tell her.

That would drive me mad, and I need the distraction of work.

I pick up my plate before scraping the scraps into the bin, rinsing it, and walking off upstairs to have a shower. When I get out, I can hear Maya in her room and Taylor reading a book to her. I head down the hall, grabbing my clothes out and getting dressed before getting clothes ready for work. Once done, I climb into bed, only sleep never comes. Looking at the clock for the hundredth time, I see it is midnight.