Chapter 25

• Evy
• "Oh, daughter, I've missed my little corner so much!" Mom hisses, somewhat emotional as soon as I open the door. She steps in, gazes at the living room for a good while, releasing some long, soft appreciative sighs. Her eyes well up with tears, yet they don't fall. It's as if she's holding them back, and believe me, I understand. I try not to cling to memories of this place, so I stay neutral in the middle of the room, just watching her as she lightly touches her furniture with her fingertips. She picks up one of the picture frames, gazes at it for a few seconds, and does the same with another and another. But then, she walks over to a window and seems to drift back in time. After her inspection of long silent minutes, she looks at me and smiles, wiping the corner of her eyes.
• "I want to organize a welcome dinner for myself and celebrate my victory with my true friends," she informs me.