Rejected by One, Wanted by Another
"I have to go finish my big tests, Leo. But I’ll be back soon. I’ll call you every night before you go to sleep, okay? And I want to see that dragon drawing finished when I get back."
"Promise?" Leo asked, holding out his pinky finger.
"I promise," Lucy said, hooking her finger with his. She kissed his forehead.
She hugged her mother one last time. As Lucy walked toward the car service Adrian had sent to pick her up, she didn't look back. She couldn't. If she looked back, she might never find the strength to leave.
As the car pulled away, Lucy watched her family standing on the porch. She leaned her head against the window, the city lights beginning to appear on the horizon. The weekend was