Chapter 10

Alex stopped the car at a red light and turned to me. "We're going home. I won't tell you anything more. You'll see for yourself." That was typical of Alex. Once he made up his mind, there was no changing it. All I could do was stay silent. The car pulled up in front of the Hastings residence, but I felt an overwhelming resistance to getting out and stepping into that house. "We used to love playing on this lawn," Alex said suddenly. I glanced at the lawn in front of the residence. Alex's father, who was technically my stepfather, was always particular about these things. The lawn was consistently well-maintained, and now that it was summer, it looked especially lush. Through the car window, I could almost picture two children playing there. The little boy was Alex, always so mischievous. And the little girl was me, always following close behind him. Thinking about those days, I couldn't help but smile slightly. "It's a shame those days are gone," I said, my head turning slowly