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“Oh, it’s fine.” I waved away his concern and tried to ignore my body’s reaction to him. “I’m sure I’ll crash later, but I’m okay for now.” I turned to Savannah. “And I’d love a tour.”
She jumped up and down, and I rolled my bags out of the way. Shoes littered the space by the doorway, so I kicked off mine and added them to the pile. Several dog toys were strewn about the carpet, but the house seemed surprisingly clean for having two children living in it. I wondered if they’d picked up in anticipation of my arrival or if it was always this tidy.
Savannah took my hand and smiled up at me. “So, this is the living room.”
“Mm-hmm. Very nice.” I paused by a crate in the corner of the room with a spiny inhabitant. “And who’s this?”
“This—” Savannah beamed “—is Hedgie. My hedgehog.”
“So cute.”
“Right?” She practically squealed.
I laughed, wondering if this was a recent acquisition. I couldn’t imagine Tessa being in favor of a hedgehog, but what did I know? She would’ve done anything for her kids.
“Here’s the kitchen,” Savannah said. Like the rest of the house, it was cozy and inviting. The kids’ artwork was displayed on the fridge, and a basket of craft supplies spilled over the table.
The backyard, though… I frowned, tears pricking my eyes. Tessa’s once lush garden was full of wilting and dead plants.
All this time, I’d known she was gone, at least intellectually. But it was the first time I’d been hit with the realization that she wasn’t coming back. Seeing her garden in such a state of disrepair tugged at my heart, and emotion lodged squarely in my throat.
“How’s school going?” I asked, turning my back on the garden so I wouldn’t cry.
Savannah shrugged. “It’s fine.”
I followed Savannah through the large laundry room that also doubled as a mud room and space for Rex’s crate. A built-in bench had baskets beneath for shoes, and hooks were positioned above where backpacks hung. She pointed out her cubby and then Maddox’s, as well as Rex’s leashes and food.
“I’m in a class with one of my best friends,” she said. “So, that’s nice.”
“River, right?” I asked, smiling at the thought of her free-spirited best friend.
She nodded. “Aiden ended up with a different teacher, but we all hang out after school. And we’re going to spend a ton of time together over spring break, which will be awesome.”
I smiled and let her lead me around the house, giving me a tour as if I’d never visited before. When we reached the top of the stairs, I stopped in the hallway, studying the photographs of Tessa and her family. Tessa and Tristan. His hair was a lot longer now, the skin near his eyes etched with concern, but he was a handsome man. They were a beautiful couple—the golden couple, as the town had dubbed them.
“Come on.” Savannah tugged on my hand. “Come see my room. Well, mine and Maddox’s now.”
“Oh yeah?” I followed her down the hall to their bedroom. One side—Savannah’s, I presumed—was covered in animal posters. The other—Maddox’s—had a space theme. “This is awesome.”
“Right? It used to be my room, but Maddox doesn’t like sleeping alone. So now we share.” She smiled brightly.
I joined Savannah on the floor where she showed me her dollhouse inhabited by small, plastic animals. She informed me that it was a clinic for orphaned animals just like on her favorite TV show,Izzy’s Koala World.
“I wish your mom and I had been closer in age so we could’ve shared a room,” I said.
“Yeah.” Savannah’s tone was filled with wistful longing, and I tried to gauge her reaction to talking about Tessa.
Despite a thirteen-year age gap and the fact that I was adopted, Tessa had never treated me with anything but kindness and love. She was the one person in my life who had ever truly believed in me. Had loved me. And now, she was gone.
Savannah’s expression changed, and she popped up from the floor. “Your room’s just down the hall. Want to see?”
“Of course.” I grinned, taking the hint. She didn’t want to talk about it. That was fine—neither did I.
“Here’s Dad’s room,” Savannah said, pointing out the large bedroom at the end of the hall. It was tidy, though I did a double take when I saw the nightstand. It was as if Tessa were still alive. Her phone charger, a stack of books she’d been reading, her glasses—all of it was still sitting there, as if waiting for her to come back. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who’d been living in denial.
It made me feel both better and worse. Better that I wasn’t alone. But sad that Tristan was going through the same thing. He was a good man. He didn’t deserve this.
“And here’s your room,” she said. I swallowed hard and forced myself to follow Savannah across the hall.
