Come in 23
Posted on July 07, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
Listen to this chapter:

Chapter 23

โ€œMom, we screwed up. Let us fix this.โ€ Maelis winced, remembering Zinniaโ€™s chilling attitude. It haunted her.

Maelis was regretful, thinking, โ€˜No matter what Zinnia did, she is still my kid. Shouldnโ€™t I cut her some slack? Weโ€™d just reunited, why even consider sending her away? With patience, everything will be fine.

โ€˜Sure, Zinnia bullied Betty, but Betty is sweet. If Zinnia apologized, Betty would forgive her. We will all live happily. So why did I agree to kick her out?โ€™

Regret consumed Maelis. Sheโ€™d erred. For two days, she lay sleepless, fearing her harsh words had broken Zinniaโ€™s heart and severed their bond.

When sleep finally came, sheโ€™d startle awake from nightmares of Zinniaโ€™s rejection. Anxiety and fear gnawed at her.

โ€œAsk her, not me,โ€ Sofia snapped.

โ€œZinnia, come home. Letโ€™s fix this,โ€ Maelis pleaded, eyes desperate.

โ€œGrandma, I donโ€™t have to stay.โ€ Zinnia avoided Maelisโ€™s gaze, turning to Sofia. Her voice quivered, fragile as butterfly wings. Add pressure, theyโ€™d tearโ€”each rip a knife to the heart. The wound was permanent.

Zinnia figured Sofia didnโ€™t want her anymore, so sheโ€™d called the Shaws to pick her up. But it was unnecessary. They didnโ€™t want her. Sheโ€™d leave. No more being tossed like an old soccer ball.

She hated this feeling.

โ€œZinnia, this is always your home.โ€ Sofia gripped Zinniaโ€™s hands tightly. โ€œStay as long as you like. If you donโ€™t want to go back, you donโ€™t have to. This old woman can still tend to her precious sunflower.โ€

Zinnia bit her lip. โ€œHm.โ€

But Sofia felt Zinniaโ€™s mood sour. The two-day closeness was gone, replaced by the formal distance of her first arrival at the Lynn residence.

โ€œGet out!โ€ Sofia waved them away. โ€œWeโ€™ll raise Zinnia fine. If you canโ€™t handle two daughters, weโ€™ll take one. Sheโ€™ll have everything here.โ€

Sofia regretted letting Maelis visit. Maelis just said she wanted to check on Zinnia, not take her. No one would feel anything but crushed hearing their parents talk about dumping them.

โ€œZinnia, youโ€™re not coming home?โ€ Howardโ€™s face fell. Theyโ€™d driven all this wayโ€”whyโ€™d she refuse? Even if she was mad, enough was enough.

โ€œCome home, Zinnia.โ€ Maelis clutched her chest, feeling like her heart was being wrung. Her own kid pushed her away. It was worse than any knife.

โ€œThatโ€™s not my home,โ€ Zinnia said finally. โ€œNot here. Her home was in Tareston, where her master and she lived.

โ€œI messed up.โ€ Maelisโ€™s eyes welled. โ€œLast time, I blamed you without knowing. Iโ€™m sorry. Please forgive me.โ€ Her voice cracked.

Zinnia turned away and didnโ€™t want them anymore. Maelis gripped her blouse, bitter regret choking her.

โ€œI forgive you. Stop crying,โ€ Zinnia frowned at Maelisโ€™s red eyes. โ€œYou not caring isnโ€™t your fault. But itโ€™s not mine either. Justโ€ฆ pretend you never found me.โ€ She didnโ€™t know why Maelis cried her eyes out.

โ€œZinniaโ€ฆโ€ Maelisโ€™s voice broke.

โ€œDonโ€™t look at me like that, I didnโ€™t do anything. You rejected me first. I told youโ€”if you didnโ€™t want me, donโ€™t bring me back.

โ€œIf you ever donโ€™t want me again, just say so, Iโ€™ll leave.โ€ Zinnia tilted her head, feeling confused. They were the ones sending her away. If anyone should cry, it was her.

From day one, Zinniaโ€™d been clear: if they got tired of her, tell her. Sheโ€™d go. Knew better than to expect endless patience. Even families had limits. Only her master ever gave her that.

But her master left her later. Zinnia blinked, hiding the hurt.

Howard caught the flicker of sadness in Zinniaโ€™s eyes. It stung him. He wondered, โ€˜Whatโ€™s she sad about? We came to take her home. Sheโ€™s the one refusing. So why that look?โ€™

โ€œZinnia, youโ€™re not coming back?โ€ Howardโ€™s jaw tightened. โ€œWeโ€™ll stop the Betty drama. Just apologize when we get home. Act right, and we wonโ€™t send you away.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m not saying sorry for something I didnโ€™t do. If you want the truth, go find it yourself instead of believing every gossip you hear.โ€ Zinnia stared Howard down. She wasnโ€™t about to apologize for Bettyโ€™s shady tricks. If they couldnโ€™t see through Betty, tough luck.

โ€œYou!โ€ Howardโ€™s guilt melted away, replaced by anger. He wasnโ€™t sure if it was because sheโ€™d called him out or because she refused to come home.

โ€œCut it out! Why should Zinnia apologize for something she didnโ€™t do? Use your brain and check if Bettyโ€™s stories hold water before you point fingers. Just because you messed up this time doesnโ€™t mean you were right before.

โ€œYouโ€™ll regret this. Zinniaโ€™s staying here with meโ€”weโ€™ll take care of her.โ€ Sofia had heard enough. โ€œGet out. Now.โ€


Please let us know if you find any errors, so we can fix them.