Chapter 18
814 Words
Caroline's POV
"My dear, you should get some rest," Margret said with a gentle smile as she placed a cup of warm tea into my hands. She sat across from me, studying my face with the same concern she'd shown since bringing me into her home. "The doctors were very clear. Your body needs time to recover."
I smiled softly and nodded. "I know. Thank you for taking such good care of me."
Margret reached over and patted my hand affectionately. "You're family now, Caroline. Looking after you is no burden."
Her words warmed my heart in a way I couldn't explain.
Family.
It was such a simple word, yet it carried more warmth coming from Margret than it ever had coming from my own parents.
Just then, my phone began to vibrate on the table.
I glanced at the screen, and my fingers immediately stiffened.
Mom Calling.
A frown crept onto my face.
Why would she be calling me?
Margret noticed the change in my expression.
"Is everything alright?" Margret asked, tilting her head slightly as concern filled her eyes.
I quickly forced a smile and reached for my phone. "It's nothing. I'll answer it."
Margret nodded understandingly before standing from her chair. "I'll leave you alone for a moment."
I waited until the bedroom door closed before answering the call.
"Hello?"
"My precious daughter!" My mother exclaimed enthusiastically, her cheerful voice almost making me wonder whether I'd dialed the wrong number. "How are you feeling now? Your father and I have been worried sick about you."
I froze.
Worried?
Since when?
The last time she'd spoken to me, she'd defended Cerene without giving me the slightest chance to explain myself.
"I'm... alright," I replied cautiously.
"Oh, thank goodness," my mother said with obvious relief. "We've been thinking about you all day. Your father even said the house feels empty without you."
I frowned.
Something wasn't right.
Neither of my parents had ever spoken to me this gently before.
Not once.
"Caroline," my father said after taking the phone from her, his voice unusually warm, "come home tomorrow. Your mother wants to prepare all your favorite dishes. Let's have dinner together as a family."
I tightened my grip around the phone.
Family dinner?
The words sounded almost absurd.
I couldn't remember the last time my parents had invited me to eat with them simply because they wanted my company.
Whenever I was called home, it was usually because Cerene wanted something, or because I was expected to clean up another mess.
"What do you think?" my father asked patiently when I remained silent. "Will you come?"
I hesitated.
Every instinct told me to refuse.
Their sudden kindness felt unnatural.
It almost frightened me.
Still, a small part of me wondered whether they had finally realized how unfairly they'd treated me all these years.
Perhaps...
No.
I couldn't allow myself to believe that so easily.
"I'll come," I answered quietly.
My mother immediately laughed with delight.
"Wonderful!" my mother said happily. "We'll be waiting for you tomorrow afternoon. Don't disappoint us."
"I won't," I replied before the call ended.
I slowly lowered the phone and stared blankly at the dark screen.
None of it made sense.
My parents had never called me "precious."
They had never sounded disappointed when I wasn't home.
They had certainly never offered to cook my favorite meals.
It was as though they had suddenly become completely different people overnight.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
"May I come in?" Margret asked gently from outside the room.
I quickly slipped my phone into my pocket.
"Of course."
Margret walked inside carrying a plate of freshly baked pastries. She placed them on the table before turning to look at me.
"You seem troubled," Margret observed, her brows knitting together with concern. "Who was on the phone?"
For a brief moment, I considered telling her everything.
I wanted to tell her how strange my parents had sounded.
I wanted to tell her that every word they spoke made me more suspicious instead of comforted.
I wanted to ask her whether she thought people could truly change overnight.
Instead, I swallowed those thoughts.
There was no point worrying her before I even knew what was happening.
"It was nothing important," I said, forcing a reassuring smile. "My parents just invited me over for dinner tomorrow."
Margret looked at me carefully, as though she sensed there was more I wasn't saying.
"If anything feels wrong," Margret said quietly as she rested a comforting hand on my shoulder, "promise me you won't face it alone."
I smiled and gently squeezed her hand.
"I promise," I replied softly, hoping that tomorrow's dinner was exactly what my parents claimed it would be.
Deep inside, however, I couldn't shake the feeling that the kindness in my mother's voice had been nothing more than the calm before another storm.
- Writer
