After making sure everyone was dressed warmly to avoid catching a cold, we decided to head outside. Paul had the brilliant idea of playing a game with a deflated ball, the only one they had at the moment.With ten of us, the teams were evenly split. I led one team, while Ryan led the opposing team.Behind me were Camila, Katia, and Paul, while Brooke clung to my back like a koala. We dashed around, annoying our opponents, as they struggled to get us out of the game with their failed shots.Jack watched from a distance, at the foot of the house alongside Monica. They hadn't stopped talking about goodness knows what ever since I introduced them, which made me think they might be up to something, that fool and her.He seemed too serious for my liking, but at times when he gazed at me and our eyes accidentally met, he'd smile at me tenderly, instantly making me blush.Caught up in his seductive demeanor, the ball landed on my stomach, forcing me out of the game.I took a deep breath, tryi
I watched them leave from the doorway of the house—Jack as the driver, my mother in the back of the old car, comforting an unconscious Ryan.I'm not sure how long I stood there staring into nothingness, but when I returned inside, the kids were sitting at the dining table, their faces tinged with despair.I took a seat on one of the many free chairs to have the conversation we had agreed on earlier, where they recounted how that bottle had ended up there.Days before the first snowfall, Maximilian had the terrible idea to play a game of breaking glass bottles with rocks to test each other's aim. So, there wasn't necessarily a single culprit after all. Although they had tried to clean up the mess without Mom Monica noticing—she was completely unaware of this—they missed a few glass shards.Since Jack and Mom Monica would take too long, I decided to prepare lunch for the kids.Around two in the afternoon, Ryan came into the house, smiling broadly. He limped a bit and complained about th
I crossed hastily through the house's wide playground.I tried to walk as fast as I could, but it was challenging as my feet sank deep into the snow.Running wasn't feasible in such awful ground conditions.My vision was blurry from bitter tears, and I felt an overwhelming urge to vomit and scream, but I refrained, especially the latter, not wanting Jack or any of the kids to see me that way.I slipped away into the vast forest, walking aimlessly, just wanting to be far from people for a while. I didn't want to talk or listen to anyone, especially Jack.I just needed to wallow somewhere with no exit or at least calm down, whichever came first, as I no longer cared about what happened to me.Unintentionally, I found myself at the place where I used to hide when I felt the same unpleasant sensation deep in my soul. One so vile and repulsive that it made me not even want to keep living.At times, I fervently wished to be dead so that at least everything would stop.The bare branch-like t
I walked calmly with Jack by my side. We were quiet, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest.Simply having him beside me was enough; his smile kept me enthralled, and his gaze would hypnotize me whenever it met mine in passing, occasionally prompting a laugh from both of us.After several minutes of wandering through the forest, we reached the house. We entered without making a single sound, but to my surprise, the interior was unusually quiet.I looked at Jack, silently bombarding him with questions, and he just shrugged with a mischievous smile.He definitely had something up his sleeve.I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes when he left me behind.Clumsily following his steps, I reached the living room to find it decorated as if for a party, balloons scattered all around, covering the floor. The walls were adorned with colorful ribbons and balloons, and the table was packed with plates of sweets and snacks, accompanied by a spectacular cake. Behind it all stood my mother al
We had to wait a short while at the bus stop across the highway.Thankfully, my backpack felt light, carrying only the dirty clothes from the previous day. Otherwise, I would have grown weary standing there under the darkening sky.Throughout the entire journey back home, I fell into a deep sleep on Jack's comfortable shoulder. Despite having secured the window seat this time, I didn't get a chance to glimpse the scenery due to my exhaustion.I felt his fingers gently caressing the back of my hand in colorful, vibrant dreams that felt almost too real to believe. Before me was a different world, where I lived carefree with Jack, our children, my mother, and the kids from the foster home.I wasn't entirely sure why the setting was a beach I'd never visited since I'd never ventured beyond Ellijay. All I could distinguish was that we were running around in the warm sand, laughing and tumbling to the ground amid laughter.It was unquestionably a good dream, the best I'd had in years, and I
I was extremely worried, so at times, I'd gaze at him, increasing the strength of my grip, hoping to transfer some of my energy through our intertwined fingers.He would smile sweetly at me, sometimes kissing my forehead under his mother's watchful eye, then returning his sad gaze back to the window.It was a slow journey due to the bad weather; the roads were somewhat slippery. Nevertheless, that didn't hinder us from reaching Atlanta in the early hours of the next day.Despite the heavy snowfall resembling more of a storm, I could still see the beautiful architecture of the city. Buildings soared high into the sky; some seemed made entirely of glass while others were adorned in metallic hues. Everywhere I looked, there were various advertisements, colorful signs, and vibrant lights that left me speechless due to their beauty.It was entirely different from what I was accustomed to—a whole new world.The car took us through the dark streets, from the poorest to the most ostentatious
Despite telling him that everything would be fine, even after comforting him for a long while, Jack continued to maintain a distant attitude toward me.I had tried to smile a bit and engage in trivial conversation while we had breakfast, but it had been in vain. I could easily tell that something truly serious was bothering him.Some issue unknown to me tormented him, enough to make him lose the joy that characterized him. However, I chose not to ask about it, convinced that he would tell me on his own when he was ready.He left after brushing his teeth, leaving me entirely alone in that place but with a little money he had given me to buy whatever I fancied, which was almost negligible at that moment.So, I occupied myself by keeping my mind busy washing our clothes, organizing every corner of the place, cleaning the accumulated dust, but by the time everything sparkled perfectly, it was well past noon.I quickly showered in that spectacular bathroom, dressed in the first clothes I f
I don't remember how long we stood there, staring deeply into each other's eyes.I hoped to somehow find the answers I needed in the depths of his gaze, but it was impossible no matter how hard I tried.Jack wore a mixture of concern and confusion at seeing me in that state, having me standing there just a few steps away, unable to speak due to the panic coursing through my veins.I feared discovering that everything Deborah had said was true, as deep down, I still held on to the hope that Jack hadn't lied to me for so long.I wanted to believe in him, in his words and actions, but a small part of me doubted the sincerity of our relationship.One side of me needed to ensure right away that he truly cared for me and that it wasn't just a game, that these feelings were mutual and not as Deborah had suggested, a way to toy with my emotions for mere amusement."Are you okay, Lucy?" he asked, terrified by my silence, coupled with my face contorted in deep disappointment. "Why are you cryin