PROLOGUE

Olivia was only eight years old when her parents moved from Boston to Chicago. Her father, who was a doctor, had been transferred to a newly built hospital in the city, while her mother was a stay-at-home mom. Olivia was their only child, and although she had always been happy with her parents, she had grown especially attached to the familiar life they had built for themselves in Boston.

The journey to Chicago felt unusually quiet to her. Olivia sat quietly in the back seat of the car while her parents chatted in the front, occasionally laughing about something she couldn’t hear clearly. She rested her head against the window and watched the scenery outside, knowing that with every mile they drove, she was getting farther away from the only home she had ever known.

“Are you okay, sweetie?” her mom asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

“Yes, Mummy,” Olivia replied softly.

Her mother smiled and turned her attention back to the road, seemingly satisfied with her answer. But Olivia wasn’t okay. Deep down, she was sad because she was already missing her friends back in Boston. She didn’t want to leave them, but she knew she had no choice. Her father’s job was the reason they were moving, and there was nothing an eight-year-old girl could do to change that.

She wondered if she would ever make new friends in Chicago. Making friends had never been easy for her. Back home, she only had three friends, and they were usually the ones who did most of the talking while Olivia listened. She was a very shy and introverted girl, and the thought of starting over in a new place filled her with both sadness and fear.

What if no one wanted to be her friend?

The moving truck carrying their belongings finally stopped in front of a beautiful but simple bungalow. Her dad’s car pulled in right behind it, and both of her parents stepped out. Olivia remained in the back seat for a moment, looking through the window at her new home.

It wasn't as big as she had imagined, but she thought it was pretty. Several other bungalows, similar in size and design to theirs, lined both sides of the quiet street. Everything looked different from what she was used to in Boston, and Olivia found herself taking in every little detail.

She quietly stepped out of the car and stood beside it, looking around her new surroundings. Her parents were already busy talking to the men who had begun unloading their belongings, so Olivia took the opportunity to have a better look at the neighborhood.

A sudden noise from across the street caught her attention.

She turned and saw two boys playing with a dog in front of one of the houses. Olivia stared at them curiously. They looked so much alike that, for a moment, she wondered if they were actually the same person.

She tilted her head slightly as she watched them. They had the same blonde hair, similar features, and almost identical faces. Olivia had never seen twins before, and she couldn’t understand how two people could look so much alike.

She was still staring when one of the boys suddenly broke away from the dog and started running toward her.

Olivia immediately looked away, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. Had he noticed her staring?

She glanced back at him and saw that he was getting closer. He was a cute boy with blonde hair, and he was about three inches taller than her. He looked a little older too, probably around ten years old. But what caught Olivia’s attention the most were his eyes.

They were green.

She had never seen eyes that color before.

“Hi, I’m Joseph. You must be the new neighbors. I live right across from you, and that’s my twin brother, Jordan,” the cute boy said, smiling at Olivia.

That explains why they look so much alike, Olivia thought.

She glanced over at Jordan, who was still standing near the dog. Wanting to be friendly, Olivia gave him a small wave. But Jordan simply looked at her for a moment before turning away without saying anything.

Olivia’s smile faded.

She immediately lowered her hand, feeling a little embarrassed. Maybe he didn’t like her. Maybe he didn’t want to be her friend.

“Don’t mind him,” Joseph said, noticing her reaction. “He’s always like that with strangers.”

Olivia looked back at him.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She suddenly realized that she hadn’t even introduced herself. She lowered her gaze shyly before answering.

“I’m Olivia.”

“Olivia,” Joseph repeated with a smile, as if making sure he remembered her name.

Before Olivia could say anything else, a woman’s voice called from across the street.

“Joseph, what are you doing over there? Honey, don’t disturb the new neighbors.”

Olivia turned toward the voice and saw a blonde woman walking out of Joseph’s house and heading in their direction.

Inside the house, Olivia’s mom was busy giving instructions to the men who were bringing their belongings inside when she happened to glance through the window. She noticed a boy standing beside Olivia and a blonde woman walking toward them.

Curious about who they were, Jennifer quickly made her way outside.

“Olivia, sweetie, is everything okay?” she asked, immediately moving to her daughter’s side and placing a protective arm around her.

“Yes, Mommy,” Olivia replied softly.

Before Jennifer could ask anything else, the blonde woman smiled warmly and introduced herself.

“Hi. I’m Mrs. Gilbert, but you can call me Rachel. And this is my son, Joseph.”

She extended her hand toward Jennifer.

Jennifer smiled and shook it.

“I’m Mrs. Christopher, but I prefer you call me Jennifer because I don’t want to feel old.”

Rachel laughed.

“I completely understand.”

They both laughed, and the brief exchange immediately made the introduction feel less formal.

“You’re welcome to the neighborhood,” Rachel said warmly. “I’m sure you’ll love it here.”

“I can see that already,” Jennifer replied, glancing around with a smile.

“You know what?” Rachel said, suddenly brightening. “Why don’t you and your family come over for dinner tonight? We’d love to have you.”

“That would be nice,” Jennifer replied. “I’ll let my husband know. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Okay, then. I better get back to what I was doing,” Rachel said. “I’ll see you later.”

After saying goodbye, Rachel turned to leave with Joseph.

Joseph looked back at Olivia and gave her a cheerful wave.

Olivia smiled and shyly waved back.

As she watched them walk away, she couldn’t help but wonder if moving to Chicago might not be as bad as she had imagined.