When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 145

Jonah carried Nelly over to the edge of the road and set her down with as much care as he could manage. There was blood on her forehead, but it looked like nothing worse than a cut. He checked her again, gentle but thorough, and only when he was sure there were no serious injuries did he finally let out a breath of relief.

Carrie followed behind, shuffling along as she wiped her tears away. She crouched down close to Nelly, her eyes already getting shiny again. Her lips trembled and she looked up at Jonah, trying not to cry but barely holding it together.

“My mom is not going to die, right?”

“Don’t worry. Your mom is going to be okay.”

Jonah looked at her, and the sharp lines of his face softened a little. Carrie really did look like Nelly, the same pretty features and delicate shape to her face. Even with all the dirt on her, she was still a cute kid.

Jonah took out a tissue and held it out. Carrie walked over slowly and let him wipe her cheeks.

“Your name’s Carrie, isn’t it?” he asked, his voice gentle.

Carrie nodded, then hesitated. “Are you a policeman? Can you take me and my mom home?”

She was still scared. She just wanted to take her mom home, back to her dad, back somewhere safe where nothing bad could happen.

Jonah smiled. “Your dad and the police are on their way. They’ll take you home soon.”

He glanced at Nelly as he spoke. The sky was getting lighter, and the faint morning light fell across her face, making her features look peaceful and calm.

“Carrie, your mom needs you right now. Can you stay with her and help take care of her?”

As soon as Jonah finished talking, Carrie rushed back to Nelly’s side. She nodded hard, her little face full of worry. She looked up at Jonah again, voice cracking.

“My mom is really going to be okay, right?”

Her voice caught in a sob. She didn’t want to cry. Dad always said crying in front of other people was embarrassing. But she’d been crying for so long now. At first it was because she was scared of dying. Now, it was all for her mom.

The idea that her mom might die because of her hurt so much she thought she might die, too. She finally understood how much her mother loved her. Only her mom would always step forward for her, no matter what, even if it meant risking everything.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Grown-ups make them, and kids make even more. Making mistakes isn’t the worst thing. What’s really bad is running from them and never facing what you’ve done. If you’re scared your mom might not love you anymore, you can talk to her. Tell her how you feel. I think it would make her really happy.”

Something about Jonah’s words made Carrie’s crying slow down. Her eyes still shimmered with tears, but now there was a little light in them too.

Jonah looked away, his expression turning distant and a little sad, like he was remembering something difficult.

“You still have your mom. You should treasure her. There are a lot of people out there who don’t have a mom who loves them. For them, even a few more minutes with their mom is something they can only dream about.”

Carrie stared at him, a little confused. Just then, she heard the sound of cars in the distance. The police must have arrived. Jonah knew it was time for him to go.

Headlights lit up the road, shining right on Carrie. She flinched and shielded her eyes, then spotted Brody running toward her. Her face crumpled and she rushed to him, crying out.

“Daddy…”

Carrie grabbed Brody’s hand, but this time, instead of hiding in his arms, she tugged him straight over to where Nelly was lying.