“It’s not you I’m looking for; I want to speak to Sonia. Is she there with you?” Grace asked on the other line, prompting Charles to glance over at Sonia.

“She’s here,” he answered.

 

“Pass the phone to her.”

Having made a noise of agreement, Charles handed Sonia his phone while saying, “Here, it’s my mom.”

Sonia took the phone over and greeted pleasantly, “Mrs. Lane.”

“Sonia! I’ve missed you so much.” Grace beamed as soon as she heard Sonia’s voice on the other end of the call.

 

Sonia, on the other hand, smiled as well. “I’ve missed you, too, Mrs. Lane.”

“You could always drop by to see me, you know,” Grace pointed out, feigning dejection.

 

“Sorry, Mrs. Lane. I’ve been tied up with tons of stuff recently. I barely have time to breathe,” Sonia winced and said apologetically.

“Well, you could come over for a meal right now if you have the time. I’ll bust out a few of my best recipes for you,” Grace cajoled kindly.

Sonia was just about to say something when Charles—who had been eavesdropping—spoke up instead. “Mom, I’m bringing my darling for seafood.”

Grace, however, was insistent as she countered, “You know how restaurants never run a quality check on their seafood supplies, and it’s not as if they could do better than me when it comes to cooking.”

the offer, Mrs. Lane. We’ll go over to your place

Grace chortled happily,

Charles put his phone away and gave Sonia a resigned look. “Well, it looks like we’re going to have to

should probably go and pick out gifts for your

their rounds through the boutiques in the mall, they finally picked out an elegant cloak for Grace and a tasteful necktie for

had been best friends with Sonia’s mother. As

and Sonia pulled up in

noted that the house looked the same as it had before. As such, she did not feel out of place at all and rather

guest when she heard the sound of the car pulling up. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Sonia, and she approached the latter with her arms spread

Lane,” Sonia greeted with a bright

by the side and drawled sarcastically, “Don’t mind me, Mom. I’m just your biological son,

I’m getting tired of it. My attention is on Sonia now. Come here, Sonia, let me take a good look at you!” She clasped Sonia’s hands in hers and slowly spun her

the remark. “No, I haven’t, Mrs.

Grace insisted. “Your

now I appear a little more slender than

along, then.” Grace took her by

one else at home but them, and she couldn’t help but ask,

you tell me how you’ve been for the past six years.”

nod and began to detail the life she had had with the Fullers, though she kept it brief to save

slapped the edge of the coffee table in a physical show of frustration and snapped, “I knew those Fullers were rotten! You should have told us how badly they were treating you, Sonia. If

into an apple. “That’s what I told

her abusive marriage wounded him, and the rage he felt never went away. That being said, he was less angry with her than he was pitiful of

sight of Charles and Grace’s outward concern, Sonia felt warmth course through her. Tears pricked her eyes as she said, “I didn’t want to make you worry over

she had lost both her parents, and the closest thing she had to a family was Grace and the rest of the Lanes. She might have been able to get them to stand up for her throughout her marriage to Toby, but they couldn’t come to her defense all the time. Besides, they weren’t actually related to her, which meant her troubles would only grow to become an

you?” Grace gently prodded the younger girl’s forehead and heaved a

smiled good-naturedly as she wrapped the

and smoothed Sonia’s

“Mom, what do you have on the stove? I think

with panic. She rose to her feet in a flurry and

a second longer, she rushed toward the kitchen to salvage the chowder simmering in the pot, and thankfully, she made it in

she brought two tall glasses of juice over to Sonia and said, “Here you go, Sonia. Have some juice while you watch a bit of television; I’ll be in the kitchen whipping up a

Lane.” Sonia nodded with a

shot Charles a look. “Come and help

blinked. He could hardly believe what he had just heard as he pointed at his nose. “Are you

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