When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 149

When she heard those words, Nelly’s face changed, just for a second. Then she pulled herself back to reality. She wasn’t the only one who’d been in danger that day. Carrie had been there too. So had Sheila. For a moment, she nearly believed that he was worried about her.

“If he’s hurt, he should see a doctor. I’m not a doctor. Me visiting him isn’t going to help,” Nelly said, her voice cool and steady. She picked up her spoon again, sipping her soup, and reached over to add some vegetables to Carrie’s bowl.

Carrie’s big eyes watched her closely. Maybe it was just that she was so wrapped up in her mom right now, but suddenly Nelly seemed so distant, so powerful. Sometimes Carrie felt like her mom was even more intimidating than her dad.

“How could it not help? He hasn’t eaten all day. He’s just been thinking about you and Carrie,” Alan tried to explain, but even he sounded unsure.

Nelly didn’t react. She just kept eating, acting like she hadn’t heard a thing.

Alan realized he was getting nowhere and quietly left the room.

When the door closed, Carrie looked up and spoke in a tiny voice. “Mom, maybe we could go see Dad together?”

“If you want to go, you can,” Nelly replied, not even glancing up. Right now, she was convinced that taking care of herself was the most important thing.

“I want to go with you,” Carrie mumbled, her voice almost too soft to hear. “I just… I want to eat with you and Dad.”

Nelly’s hand paused in midair. She finally looked at her daughter. Carrie’s eyes darted away, and she dropped her head, suddenly shy and nervous, like she’d done something wrong.

Nelly had been meaning to talk to her about all this. Back when Carrie started treating Sheila like her mom behind Nelly’s back, she’d been furious. She’d even thought about just letting Brody and Carrie be together, giving up the fight for custody. But blood ties run deep. If Carrie changed for the better, there was no way Nelly could really harden her heart against her own daughter.

“Carrie, let me ask you something. If you could only pick one between me and your dad, who would you choose?” Nelly hesitated, but the words slipped out.

She and Brody were heading for divorce. Sooner or later, Carrie would find out. She was still a kid, but some things just couldn’t be avoided. Nelly realized she’d always treated Carrie like she was too fragile. Maybe that’s why Carrie had gotten so spoiled and stubborn.

As soon as she heard the question, Carrie’s face fell. She knew. Her mom didn’t want this family anymore.

She used to get so mad at Nelly, blaming her for everything. Now, though, all she felt was regret. If she hadn’t clung to Ms. Olson so much, if she hadn’t been so stubborn, if she’d only noticed how hard things were for her mom... maybe things wouldn’t be so messed up now.

The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Tears slipped down her cheeks, splashing onto the back of her hand.

Nelly hadn’t expected her daughter to break down like this. She pulled Carrie into her arms and whispered, “Okay, I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”

It took a while for Carrie to calm down. When she finally stopped crying, she looked up at Nelly, her eyes serious. “You really aren’t leaving?”

Nelly hesitated, her heart twisting again. She could see how desperate Carrie was, and it hurt. Accepting the truth would take time. Carrie needed time to adjust. Nelly just nodded, deciding to let it go for now, promising herself she’d talk to Carrie more about it later.

After dinner, Carrie insisted they bring some food to Brody. Nelly wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t say no to her daughter. Brody was hurt anyway. She might as well see for herself how bad it was.

But Brody wasn’t in the clinic. As they walked out, they bumped into Jessie.

Jessie had just come back from dinner. She saw Carrie holding Nelly’s hand tight, and when she looked at Nelly, there was a smile in her eyes. It seemed like things were finally looking up for Nelly.

That morning, Jessie had visited Nelly and seen Brody waiting outside, looking worried sick. Later, she found out he’d gotten himself hurt too, and Alan had told her it was all for Nelly. His arm was barely healed, and now his leg was injured.

Not that Jessie was really surprised. She didn’t know Nelly that well, but every time they met, she could feel the strength underneath Nelly’s calm, the warmth hiding behind her distant exterior. People like that, brave enough to give their all and still care about others, were hard to find these days.