I’d been staying here for a few days, and I hadn’t seen her childrene to visit. I didn’t ask about it; it seemed to me that she considered both Josh and me as her own kids.


    Later, as I was about to sleep, I got a call from Jasmine, asking when I’d be heading back.


    I told her I wasn’t sure. Honestly, I was really happy here on this quiet little street.


    It was the most content I’d felt since my parents passed away. I even thought about extending my “vacation” for a few more days, just staying until I grew tired of it.


    “You sure you’re not just reluctant to leave your soldier boy behind?” Jasmine teased.


    Thinking about the few moments I’d shared with Josh-moments that inexplicably made my heart flutter-I replied, “It’s not about not wanting to leave. It’s just… when he’s around, my heart feels more alive.”


    “Ah, looks like Ms. Kemp’s healing powers are pretty strong,” Jasmine joked.


    I didn’t say anything, and after a few seconds of silence, Jasmine asked, “Has Alvin contacted you? Not even a single message on WhatsApp?”


    I licked my lip. “…No.”


    Jasmine scoffed. “He thinks you’ll never leave him, huh?”


    I knew exactly what she meant. Staring out at the moonlight, I murmured, “This time, I’ll show him.”


    I drifted off to sleep while chatting with Jasmine. When I woke up again, the sky was still dark, and the call had ended. Jasmine left me a message. [No one in this world is irreceable.]


    Yeah, I could live without Alvin. These past few days proved that. I’d been eating well and sleeping well.


    I smiled faintly, about to close my eyes again when my phone suddenly buzzed with a message. I thought, ‘Who could be texting me at this hour?’ I opened my eyes, then froze-it was from Alvin.


    Alvin: [Had enough fun? Come back!]


    Just those few words, but they were loaded with anger.


    I thought, ‘So, after all this time, now he remembers me? And he has the nerve to act like I’m the one causing trouble,pletely unaware of his own mistakes?’


    I didn’t reply. I just shut off my phone. But now I couldn’t sleep. I got up, opened the door, and stepped into the small yard. walked under the ginkgo tree, and just then, I heard the creak of a door opening.


    I turned and saw Josh walking out. He was carrying a backpack and dragging a suitcase behind him.


    He seemed surprised to see me, pausing for a second before wordlessly continuing on his way, pulling the suitcase out of the yard.


    “Where are you going?” I asked before I could stop myself.


    “Out of town,” he said, not slowing his pace. Without another word, he was already out of the yard.


    I stood there, dazed for a moment, before pulling my gaze away. A few secondster, I headed to his room. I was surprised.


    to find the door wasn’t locked-it opened easily with a push.


    When I flicked on the light, his room looked just as I imagined, but also a little different.


    It was the same in that everything was neat and orderly, the bed made up perfectly with the sheets folded like little blocks. But it was different because many of the items were old-at least a decade, maybe more.


    Thinking about what Eliseo had said, I couldn’t help but feel that these were the things my parents had left behind.


    When Holly came in, I was still standing there, lost in thought. She seemed to understand what I was feeling, and without me asking, she exined, “These things… they’re from your parents.


    “I was going to move them to the room you’re staying in, but Josh wouldn’t let me. He said they’re perfectly fine, so I left them here.”


    I touched some of the old items, and a knot formed in my throat. Because of these things, I found myself wanting to stay here even more, even if Josh was leaving.


    But just then, I got a voice message from Myra. She sounded almost like she was about to cry. “Zoe, there’s a huge issue with the lights at the amusement park. You need toe back right now!”