Chapter 18

NORA’S POV I twirled my fork through the pasta, pushing it around instead of eating them. The restaurant was nice—low lighting, cozy booths, with soft music playing in the background. But all that blurred together. My thoughts were louder than the room. Across from me, Aunt Maya leaned in with a bright smile. “That dress looks really pretty on you, Nora. Red suits you.” I looked up at her and gave a small polite smile, like Mom taught me. “Thank you.” She was trying. I knew she was. Ever since we got in the car, she'd been asking questions, telling funny stories about car racing, and even played music that I liked. But I wasn't really in the mood to laugh. Not tonight. “You must be excited about dinner,” she guessed, sipping some green smoothies that looked…well, weird. “What would you like to have?” I shrugged. “I like mashed potatoes, pancakes with syrup, chicken and chips and a lot more.” Maya grinned. “All your favourites, huh? We'll work something out.” I nodded at her words, slig