Chapter 143
Immediately after eating, they walked outside.
Mia stretched her body, letting out a soft sigh as the breeze hit her face. Her stomach felt heavy, but in a good way, the kind that came with being full with good food.
Yup! she really enjoyed her meal
“Where to now?” Ethan asked, glancing around the unfamiliar street.
Their mother looked thoughtful. “Should we go get clothes first?”
But before anyone could answer, someone behind them cleared their throat.
They all turned at once.
A woman stood behind them, probably in her late forties, dressed in a neat suit and holding a kind smile. Her presence wasn’t threatening, just unexpected.
“Sorry,” she began, giving a little wave. “Hi, my name is Amanda. I kind of overheard your conversation in the restaurant,” she said sheepishly. “It sounds like you’re new in town and looking for a place to stay?”
Their mom stepped forward politely. “Hi, I’m Mary,” she responded, smiling back. “Yes, we… we just got into town, and yes, we’re looking for apartments or anything really.”
Amanda’s face lit up. “Perfect! Like I said, I’m Amanda, a housing agent here in town.” She reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out a small card, handing it over. “I actually have a few listings at the moment.”
Mary looked over the card and nodded. “So you have something ready now?”
“Yes,” Amanda said, clearly enthusiastic. “I have a few places-there’s a four-bedroom, a one-bedroom, and even a five- bedroom that just became available.”
“Five bedrooms would be perfect!” Lily burst out, her face lighting up.
Mary turned to her with a raised brow.
“What? I’m not sharing a room with anybody again, Mom. We’re adults now. I should have my own room,” Lily added quickly, folding her arms.
Mary rolled her eyes but turned back to Amanda. “We’re actually on a budget—”
Amanda waved off her concern. “Don’t worry. Houses here aren’t that expensive compared to the big city. I can show you what’s available around town, and then you can tell me what fits your needs and budget best.”
Just like that, the family found themselves piling into Amanda’s truck. It wasn’t anything fancy, just an old but clean blue pickup.
The first house they saw was a three-bedroom. It was tidy, with a little white fence, and a small patch of garden in front that needed love. The inside had that old house smell, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, it felt like it could be a home with a little cleaning and care.
The price was good-really good, considering where they’d come from. But as much as they liked it, it wasn’t practical. There were five of them. A three-bedroom meant people doubling up again.
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Chapter 143
“It’s nice,” Ethan said, peeking into what could be his room. “But we are going to have to share.”
Lily crossed her arms. “Not me.”
Amanda didn’t seem offended when they turned it down. “No problem. Let’s check the others.”
The four-bedroom was better. More space. A bigger kitchen. A backyard, even. It was lovely, like really lovely compared to the house they are coming from.
Next came the five-bedroom. As soon as Amanda unlocked the front door, Lily gasped.
“Now this is more like it!” She said
The house was big. High ceilings, large rooms, lots of light. But it was clearly still full of someone else’s life. Boxes, furniture, clothes in the closet.
“The former owner is relocating to another town,” Amanda explained as they wandered through the house. “He hasn’t moved everything yet. He’s supposed to be back next week to get the rest.”
Mia stepped into one of the rooms and saw a child’s toy lying on the floor. It made her feel strange,like she was intruding. It didn’t feel like home yet. It felt like borrowing someone else’s.
They saw one more house after that. A six-bedroom, way out on the edge of town. It was quiet, almost too quiet, and the house was too big. It felt empty in a lonely way.
By the time they were done, everyone was tired.
Mia slumped against the car door, glancing at her siblings. Ethan had stopped asking questions. Ann looked like she might fall asleep any second. Lily was quiet for once, probably thinking hard.
Even their mother looked worn out, her smile thinner than before. She stepped out and thanked Amanda, her voice soft.
“Thank you so much,” she said, shaking the woman’s hand.
Amanda smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. No rush. Take your time. Think it over. Call me once you’ve made your decision.”
They all nodded, grateful, even if they hadn’t picked a place yet. Amanda started walking back to her truck.
But their mom stops the woman.
“Sorry, please, can you direct us to a cheap, nice hotel we can stay for maybe a few days?”
The woman turned back to them slowly. Her eyes briefly scanned each of them. Maybe now she was truly seeing them, seeing the oversized clothes they were wearing, how their jeans were bunched up around their ankles, how the shirts hung off their bodies like borrowed curtains.
The shoes too, none of them seemed to fit right. Like they were all wearing someone else’s life, not just their clothes.
Mia lowered her eyes, embarrassed. But to the woman’s credit, she didn’t flinch. She didn’t let her face twist with pity or surprise. She just nodded like everything was fine. And for that alone, they ought to thank her. For treating them like normal.
“You don’t have anywhere you’re staying?” the woman asked gently.
“Yes, their mom said, her voice soft, almost ashamed. “I mean, no. Not yet.”
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Chapter 143
Ok… ok, the woman said, looking like she had a lot of questions but wasn’t going to ask any. She gave a small nod. “Get in. I’ll take you to one.”
“Thank you so much,” their mom said.
They echoed the thanks, their voices overlapping as they piled into the woman’s car again.
The woman drove them a few blocks down and stopped in front of a hotel. It wasn’t fancy, but it looked decent.
“Alright,” the woman said, turning in her seat to look at them. “You’ll be okay here.”
Their mom smiled gratefully. “You’ve done so much already. Thank you.”
The woman waved her off, like it was nothing. “Call me when you decide on the house.”
They all stepped out and waved goodbye as she drove off. For a moment, they just stood there in front of the hotel, unsure of what to do next. Then their mom took the lead, walking inside and heading straight to the receptionist desk.
The lobby was quiet….
Their mother spoke quietly to the receptionist, then turned back to them. “Do you have two rooms available?” she said.
“Yes ma’am” the receptionist says smiling
Mia blinked. Two?
“We’ll have to manage,” their mom added. She looked over at Ethan. “You should have your own room, but you can’t stay alone.”
Ethan glanced at Mia. “Mia can stay in my room,” he said casually.
Mia’s chest warmed, just a little. It was always Ethan. He was always the one who never made her feel like an outsider. No matter what happened, Ethan always had her back.
Their mom nodded, then handed Ethan one of the key cards. “Okay. You two take the second room.”
“Thanks,” Ethan said, giving Mia a small smile.
“I have to check something,” Mia said suddenly, her voice quiet but firm.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“Check what?” their mom asked, her brows slightly furrowed.
“No way,” Lily said, stepping forward like she’d caught her doing something criminal. “You want to go call Blackwell? Are you insane?”
Her words hit like a slap.
Mia stiffened, a lump forming in her throat. That name felt like poison now. Lily said it with such disgust, like Mia was pathetic just for thinking about him.
“Keep your voice down and stop barking like a dog, Lily,” Mia snapped, her voice shaking with emotion. “And no, I want to go check my admission results. Stop twisting in your panties with every one of my actions, hop off my non-existent dick! geez!”
She didn’t wait for a reply. She turned and headed back to the reception. Her heart pounded. Her face burned. She could feel Lily’s glare on her back but didn’t care.
Ethan followed quietly behind her.
“You nervous?” he asked as they stood by the small computer station in the corner of the lobby.
Mia stared at the screen. “No,” she said.
But the truth was, she wasn’t nervous. She wasn’t excited either. She wasn’t scared. She wasn’t anything.
She just felt numb. Like her emotions had packed up and left with everything else she used to have.
All that was left was a hollow feeling in her chest.
