Chapter 8

Beauty behaved perfectly on the road as another person and I took turns driving.

The first thing he said when he got in the car was, “Hey, if the car breaks down, don’t blame me. This is my first time driving such an expensive car.”

We drove through a deserted area for miles.

We also landed in a hot air balloon, which was my first time lying down to get into one.

Passing through a small town, a little girl tugged on my sleeve, pointing to her disabled father, asking if I could spare some change.

We took a day to help her father get to the hospital.

When we finally reached Alaska, we were a week behind schedule.

Beauty had gone from being a timid little kitten to a bold, plump cat.

Every time we arrived at a new accommodation, she was the first to jump down, patrol the area, and only then would she return to my side.

The Northern Lights were breathtaking.

I waited three hours in awe, marveling at the vibrant colors lighting up the sky.

Beauty poked her head out of my jacket, the wind rustling her fur before she burrowed back inside.

We had just agreed to go skiing next.

Then, a strange number called my phone.

“Serena, I’m your mother. Can we talk?”

The unfamiliar voice took me back to the day of my father’s car accident.

He had called me that day, excitedly telling me he had good news and wanted to introduce me to my mother.

His voice had been filled with joy, stirring countless fantasies about meeting her.

But soon after, I received the news of his passing, and the mother he spoke of never appeared.

I handed the car keys over to them and boarded the plane with Beauty.

At the airport, I stepped off the plane and saw Elijah.

Standing next to him was a woman in a wheelchair.

I recognized her immediately—she looked just like the woman in my father’s wallet.

“Back already?” Elijah asked, but I pretended not to hear him.