Vivian’s POV“Get up, Molly. Come on, sweetheart. You’ll be late for school again.”I tried to sound patient, but my voice came out sharper than I intended.Molly didn’t even stir. She curled tighter under the blanket, a little lump of stubbornness with her messy hair peeking out.“Molly,” I said again, tugging the blanket off her. “I mean it this time.”A soft whine. Then, muffled, “I don’t want to go.”I closed my eyes, inhaled. Counted to three. It didn’t help.“Molly, we’ve talked about this. You can’t just stay home every day. It’s a new school, I know, but you’ll make friends once you actually go.”“No!” She sat up suddenly, eyes already brimming with tears. “I hate it there!”Her voice cracked. For a second, it stunned me. She’d never shouted at me before.“Molly…” I started, trying to keep my tone even. “You don’t mean that.”“Yes, I do!” she insisted, fists rubbing her eyes. “I hate it here! I want to go home!”Home.The word landed like a stone in my chest.“This is home,” I
Last Updated : 2025-11-05 Read more