Chapter 44

"CeeCee, you look like you have a lot going through your mind," Mom asked me between bites of her food. "Um, Mom, I was thinking about moving." I tentatively broached the subject and put down my cutlery. Mom looked reluctant. After all, we had lived in this place for over ten years. "Why the sudden urge to move?" "It just feels a bit old. I'd like to find a newer apartment complex." My mother shook her head. "Forget it, CeeCee. We've been here for decades, and the neighbors are all familiar faces." I sighed inwardly. I had expected that response and didn't press the issue further. I didn't see Darren for a while after that. Miraculously, he had truly settled down in Jalthoria, and I didn't see the Prestons come looking for him again. It was strange that the Preston family would let their only son live in another city. Then, there was Lily. Why had she given up on Darren so easily? Given her past fixation on him, it didn't seem reasonable. Or perhaps, out of my sight, Lily