She Framed Me As Unfit So I’ll See Her In Court Chapter 31
I ended the call, and with it, the last possibility of Caleb forcing his way back into my life.
My reflection showed in the window glass. There were no tears, and none of the wild triumph I might once have imagined.
It was simply over.
My phone rang again.
The screen showed one word: Mom.
I answered immediately, and her excited voice rushed into my ear.
“Nia! I bought the macaroni! And the cheese! I even found your favorite baking dish from when you were little.”
She didn’t even pause before pressing on. “What time are you getting in tomorrow? I’m coming to the station to pick you up!”
The chill from the previous call was swept away by her voice.
“You don’t need to come. It’ll be cold at night.”
“How could I not? You’ll have luggage. Send me the train number, and Maya and I will come together.”
I listened to her briskly planning dinner, full of energy, and suddenly my nose stung.
In my last life, she had not made it through that winter.
In this life, she was waiting for me to come home.
“Okay,” I said softly. “I’ll send it to you.”
After we hung up, I looked out the window. Atlanta’s lights spread across the night, one after another, bright as if they went on forever.
I leaned back into the couch and let out a long breath.
The nerves that had been stretched taut for months finally eased, and the boulder crushing my chest slowly began to lift.
This time, I was really going home.