42. Goodbye

And a little sadness, as she wished she’d known her father better. She knew he’d perished in an accidental home fire, but her mother had never really wanted to talk about what happened. Maybe the town would have more answers for her about her family.

Goodbye New York City, goodbye crime, goodbye eviction notice on her door. Hello, rural Tennessee. She looked at her son in the backseat, buried in his book, and felt a rush of love for him. This would be a new start.

43. The Mansion, Again

The house was massive, and the renovations had gone well. This wasn’t Betsy’s first time seeing the home, but it was Allen’s. He was amazed at the three-story mansion, which had been repainted a sunny yellow color.

The interior was kept historically accurate, with dark, hardwood floors, expansive leaded windows, and a winding, gleaming staircase. Betsy took a deep breath when she walked in, smelling wood, country air, and a not-unpleasant new paint smell.

44. The New Home

Suitcases had to be unpacked, a realtor had to come and do the final walkthrough, and there were a few other bits and bobs that took all week to hectically sort. Still, it was hers and her son’s. They were living in a paid-off mansion.

Betsy couldn’t believe her luck. She’d heard about the house before, but she never thought it would be anything other than a burnt-out, abandoned husk. After a few days of getting settled, she and Allen set out to explore the town.

45. Sally

They toured the grocery store, Allen’s future school, and the park before arriving at the local diner. It was definitely a small town, as Betsy and Allen got more than a few strange looks when they sat down in the cherry-red booth.

The waitress, Sally, was an old woman with an appetite for conversation, and she wasted no time introducing herself. When Betsy said her name, Sally’s expression slipped slightly, but, polite Southern lady she was, she recovered quickly.

46. Welcome Back

“Welcome back,” Sally said, “I knew your parents. They were lovely people.” Betsy and Allen ordered burgers, fries, and Cokes, with Betsy reminding her son that this was going to be their last unhealthy meal for a while.

She had groceries now, so their takeout days were over. Allen laughed. Staring at her son in the booth, Betsy marveled at how much he looked like her father. Pictures she’d seen of him, anyway.

47. One Month Later

A month passed, and then Allen started school. He managed to fit in pretty quickly, something Betsy was thankful for. He was more well-liked than she had been in school, as she struggled to fit in in their small town.

She and her mother left Tennessee after her dad died, but small towns were small towns everywhere. One fall morning, as Betsy was drinking her coffee and staring out the kitchen window, she saw something odd.