Chapter 163

Isabella I bounced on my bed with pure excitement after hanging up with Dad. We were going home! And we were going to surprise Aunt Aurora! I couldn't wait to see her face when we showed up unexpectedly. But then,as I hugged my plushie tight against my chest,I realized something. Going home meant seeing Mom again. My excitement dimmed a little. It had been days since Mom's regular calls,and at first,it had felt like freedom. No more lectures about studying harder,eating properly,or going to bed on time. No more detailed questions about my day that made me feel like I was being interrogated. I'd deliberately missed her calls at first,leaving early or turning off my phone after school. Then I'd stopped,worried she'd be angry. But she hadn't called again. I frowned,a strange feeling settling in my stomach. Mom had never gone this long without calling before. Even when she was mad at me for getting that B in math,or when I accidentally broke her favorite vase,she'd still called. She'd lect