Chapter 8
Chapter 8
The cookies were Alex’s peace offering, his way of trying to sweeen things up with Haley. But when she turned him down, he just ditched it.
Thinking back on the caring look in Alex’s eyes as he offered her he cake, the bites Ellie had taken now felt like a bitter aftertaste, a heaviness in her chest that made it tough to breathe
She slipped out of the hospital that afternoon while Alex was off onewhere. Back at her apartment, she felt a mix of relief
and unease.
There was a time when just a glance from him was all it took to make her day. But now? Now, she couldn’t face him, not with his careless looks and stories about Haley that she’d rather not hear.
When Alex found out she’d checked herself out, he called, his voice a mix of anger and worry. He demanded to know where she was, ready to come get her. But she kept her mouth shut about her hideout. He ended the call with a promise to leave
her be
Aaron came over, shaking his head at her latest stunt. After giving her a good talking–to, he got to work in the kitchen. making dinner.
Over the meal, he told her the law firm had called the whole mess a “misunderstanding.” They’d even thrown in a settlement to make it go away, but he’d turned it down, choosing to walk away from the job.
Ellie stayed mostly silent through it all, not wanting to stir the pot any further.
After a few days and with her foot almost back to normal, Ellie and Aaron headed to their old family home in the poor village.
It was a simple place: three old rooms with clay–tiled roofs, a big yard with a wooden gate, and a pigpen out front. It wasn’t much, but it was home.
As they walked in, their dad was in the yard, whittling away at a broom, his old wooden crutch propped up nearby.
When he looked up and saw them, he froze for a second, then his eyes got all watery. His face, marked by years of hard work, lit up with joy.
Their mom heard the commotion and came out from the main house. Seeing them, she did a quick turn and went back inside, probably to dab away her tears.
After a home–cooked dinner, they all sat in the yard to catch the cool evening air. Ellie was checking her dad’s leg, which was still healing, while Aaron picked up where their dad left off with the broom, trying to persuade him.
“Dad, Ellie and I are all grown up now. Just take your meds, and when we start making money, we’ll get you and Mom a place in the city,” Aaron said, trying to sound hopeful.
Ellie watched her dad, his head down, as he smoked his cheap cigarettes. The sound of each drag was a sad reminder of their
situation.
It wasn’t easy, but everyone wanted to live, her father included. The cost of constant medical care was a heavy burden for ther family, which was already struggling.
Aaron, with a warm smule, looked at his dad. Dad, when things settle down, I’ll bring my girlfriend over. You two need to take care of yourselves. Don’t you want to see my children in the future?” he said, his voice full of love and expectation.
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Love and Deepspace
Tame him, conquer him, but try not to get to…
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Chapter 8
Ellie stayed quies by her dad’s side, seeing a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Her father, a retired veteran with a stubborn streak, was a man of few words, but he always listened to Aaron.
Their mom, Joanna, brought over some peanuts. “It’s not easy for the kids to come back. Let’s not make it harder. We’ll do what our son says,” she said softly: “With all their schoolwork, they should head back tomorrow.”
The harshness of reality was a lesson learned through experience. Even her mother, who couldn’t read, knew that for children from a poor family, education was the key to a better future.
Elle and Aaron were heading back to town after a night at their old home. Their mom, with a hand on their dad’s arm, who was leaning on his cane, walked them to the end of the road, a ritual that always tugged at Ellie’s heart.
Joanna was in her glory, chatting up the neighbors. “My kids are back in town,” she’d say, her voice brimming with pride.
lawyer now, and Ellie, she’s a doctor. Ellie had never seen her mom so full of joy, so eager to show them off.
As they pulled away, the look on their parents faces was hard to bear. It was a mix of love and sadness that Ellie couldn’t shake. She turned away, her vision blurring with tears.
Growing up, she’d left this place behind, moving to the city to live with the high–society Warren family. She knew her status. then, but as the years went by, her small–town roots started to feel like a distant memory.
This trip home was like a splash of cold water, a wake–up call to the reality she’d been living in. For someone from her background, love was a bonus, a cherry on top. What really mattered was dignity, the core of her existence.
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