Chapter 177
Alexis
"I would like you to come with me."
I sit across from my parents at their small dining table. The familiar scent of my mother's cooking lingers in the air. The familiar creak of the wooden floors. The familiar crack in the ceiling that my father always said he would fix but never did.
I don't tell them why. I can't.
Instead, I tell them I have a major opportunity. A chance to start fresh. A chance to leave the fortress—just for a while—and if I want to, I could bring my family with me.
Mum and Dad exchange looks. The kind of look they've been giving each other for decades. Full of unspoken questions.
"Are you sure?" Mum's voice is hesitant. "Won't we be burdens? We're not young anymore, Alexis. We don't have skills that—"
"No." I reach across the table and take her hand. "Please. I would like it if you came with me."
