Dedication

Charlotte

I was very concerned about my new friends, whom I truly considered as the family I never had. I could say, without fear of being mistaken, that I already loved them all. The atmosphere that had settled in the once joyful house was something sad to witness.

The children seemed to sense their mother's tension and were becoming quieter each day, which was worrisome because I had gotten used to seeing them always happy and mischievous together.

Although Nicole had managed to find a temporary job, it paid very poorly. She worked eight hours with hardly any breaks at a fast-food restaurant, and what she earned was barely enough to cover the household expenses. I was also helping with what I earned.

But it was impossible to gather enough money to avoid losing the house. Only in a distant dream could we come up with the necessary amount to buy the house back from the new owner, assuming he would even agree to sell it back to Emily for the amount he had already spent.

The solution wo