?<strong>Chapter 903:</strong>


    Joelle had gone to bed early, nning to be well-rested, never expecting to wake from such a terrifying dream.


    She rubbed her forehead, the sweat on her skin cooling ufortably. “I almost forgot,” she murmured.


    Adrian settled back into bed with her, pulling the nket snugly around them both. “If you can’t sleep, I’ll stay up and chat with you.”


    Joelle rested her head against his chest, feeling her body slowly begin to rx. “What should we talk about?”


    Adrian stared at the ceiling. “In the blink of an eye, Aurora’s about to take her university entrance exam. I feel ufortable. The other day, Bobby was telling me how he worries about his daughter—scared some boy might break her heart. And then there’s Shawn, who said it took Bobby half his life to realize how wrong he’d been about so many things.”


    Joelle nced up at Adrian. She wanted to tell him he was overthinking, but the truth was, shepletely understood his feelings.


    “When Aurora graduated middle school and wanted to take that trip with friends, I worried myself sick. But you know, she has to grow up, meet more people, and see more of the world. We have to let go eventually.”


    Adrian, now firmly in middle age, was much more emotional than before. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “Aurora’s a good kid. She’s never given us any trouble, has she?”


    Joelle smiled. “That’s true. But ever since Leah and Can moved back to their hometown to retire, I’ve felt like Aurora’s been carrying extra worries. She doesn’tmunicate as much as she used to. I used to think I understood her perfectly, but now, I’m not so sure.”


    Adrian let out a heavy sigh, sensing that if they stayed on this topic much longer, he might end up crying along with her. “Joelle, I need to tell you something, but promise me you won’t get mad.”


    “What is it about?”


    “Molly.”


    Joelle bolted upright. “Did she get called to the principal’s office again?”


    Adrian quickly tugged her back down. “Don’t get mad. I’ve already spoken to her teacher. She was just doodling in a book, but it happened to be the teacher’s book.”


    Joelle’s face flushed with frustration, and she pressed her fingers to her temples, feeling as though her head might explode.


    Raising Molly had been a vastly different experience from raising Aurora.


    Aurora had always beenposed and well-behaved, never once causing trouble. But Molly was a whirlwind. By three, she was climbing fences. At five, scaling trees.


    By ten, she was scaling walls like a daredevil. She was wilder than any boy Joelle had ever met.


    Joelle thought of Katherine’s son, Kalel Watson, who was just a few months older than Molly. He was mature, calm, and dependable—theplete opposite of Molly.


    Sometimes, Joelle couldn’t help but wonder if she had somehow failed as a parent.


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