Chapter 1

My parents and my sister were coming home.

After three years of living with my grandma, I was finally going to see them again. The thought made a small, hopeful feeling flutter in my chest. For weeks, I had imagined this moment. I would run to my mom, she would hug me tight, and my dad would pat my head and tell me I' d grown up.

Maybe this time, things would be different.

The car pulled up outside Grandma' s house, and I rushed to the door, my heart pounding. My mom, Sarah, got out first. She looked beautiful, just like in the pictures she sometimes sent. Then my dad, Mark, got out, followed by my little sister, Brittany.

Brittany was holding a small violin case. She looked like a doll, with a brand-new pink dress and shiny black shoes.

My mom' s eyes went straight to Brittany. She fussed over her, making sure her dress wasn' t wrinkled from the car ride.

"Brittany, sweetie, are you tired? Was the trip too long for you?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

My dad smiled and ruffled Brittany' s hair. "Our little musician needs her rest."

I stood in the doorway, waiting. They didn' t seem to notice me. The hope in my chest started to feel heavy.

Finally, my mom looked up and saw me. Her smile tightened a little.

"Oh, Chloe. You' re here."

It wasn' t the hug I had imagined. It wasn' t even a real greeting. It was just a statement.

"You' ve gotten so... big," she added, looking me up and down. I was wearing a clean but faded T-shirt and jeans that Grandma had bought for me at the local market. They felt cheap and ugly under my mother' s gaze.

Brittany giggled. She pointed a small, delicate finger at me.

"Mommy, she looks like a country girl."

My dad chuckled. My mom didn' t say anything to stop her, just gave a small, tired smile. The words didn't feel like a joke. They felt like a judgment. My face grew hot, and I looked down at my worn-out sneakers.

I took a small step forward, wanting to get closer, to feel like part of the family that had just arrived.

"Mom," I said, my voice small. "I missed you."

I reached out, hoping for that hug.

She just patted my arm, a quick, dismissive gesture. "Yes, well, we' re here now. Help your father with the bags."

Her touch was light and brief, and then she turned her full attention back to Brittany, leading her into the house as if she were a visiting princess. My dad gave me a nod and started unloading the trunk, expecting me to help without another word. The space between us felt vast.

My grandma, Eleanor, came out onto the porch. She had been standing quietly in the background, watching everything. She walked over to me and put a warm, steady hand on my shoulder.

"Don' t you mind them, Chloe," she whispered, her voice firm. "They' re just tired from the trip."

She looked over at my parents, who were now cooing over a new music box Brittany had gotten. There was a sharp disapproval in Grandma' s eyes.

"Sarah, Mark," she said, her voice louder now. "Aren' t you going to say a proper hello to your other daughter? She' s been waiting all day."

My mom looked over, a flash of annoyance on her face. "Of course, Mom. We' re just getting settled. Chloe, go get some water for your sister."

It was another order, not a request. Not the loving reunion I had dreamed of.

But as I went to the kitchen, a new thought took root in my mind. They were tired. They were stressed. I just had to be better. I had to be more helpful, more obedient, more perfect. If I did everything right, they would have to love me. They would see me.

I decided then and there that I would be the best daughter they could ever ask for. That had to be the key.