TALIA
After we finished eating breakfast, Blake took me to his mom’s house. It was a pretty short walk from the packhouse. When we arrived, his mom smiled at me in greeting. She had a very warm smile that extended to her whole face. I could instantly tell she was a good person. Her eyes, on the other hand, looked sad. I wasn’t even sure how exactly I could tell they were sad. And then, after a few moments, it clicked. They reminded me of my own mother’s eyes—a haunted look of something gripping her that she couldn’t shake off.
“Hello, Talia.” She put her hand out to shake mine. I extended my own hand and she had a surprisingly firm handshake. “Thanks for coming by. Why don’t you come sit in the kitchen, and I’ll bring over some tea?”
“That’d be great, Mom.” Blake wrapped his arms around
