Chapter 56 Like Old Times

• I knocked at the door and waited patiently. Having not called ahead of time, I was unsure whether Kent and his family would be around. The closer I got to home, the more discomfited I grew.
• “Coming. Who is it?” When a familiar voice came into earshot, I suppressed my nerves and eked out as broad a smile as I could muster.
• “Aunt Mabel.” I had not forgotten how she treated me back in the day, but I did not begrudge her, as every mean thing she said was primarily motivated by her impetus to preserve her own family.