Page 88 of The Challenge

The meat on the plate looked dry, the mashed potatoes cold, and the vegetables rubbery.

“Not sure I’d want to eat that, either,” I said.

“Fair point.”

For the next several minutes, I watched as Chloe pretended to be interested in what her mother was watching just so she could somehow relate to her. It was heartbreaking that Judy could no longer fully understand what an amazing daughter she had. This situation wasn’t fair, and the longer I was here, the more pissed I became that Chloe was handling everything all by herself, with no real involvement from her father or sister.

The room went quiet for a bit. Then, out of the blue, Judy spoke.

“I want to go home,” she said.

I turned to Chloe. “Did you hear that?”

Chloe nodded. “I did.”

Stunned, I looked over at Judy. “She said she wanted to go home, right?”

“Yeah.” Chloe placed her hand on her mother’s arm. “Mom, do you remember the home on River Street?”

“I want to go home,” Judy repeated. “Now!”

Chloe’s eyes began to water.

My chest tightened. Holy shit.

Chloe stood and walked out of the room. Maybe she didn’t want her mother to see how upset she was. I followed her into the hallway.

Chloe wiped her eyes. “I don’t know what to make of that. I wonder if Mom has fleeting memories of the house. It’s hard to know what she’s thinking.”

I rubbed circles on her back. “I know…”

Chloe sniffled. “I’d give anything to be able to take her back to our old house. I wonder if being there would somehow trigger a memory, or even just a feeling of comfort. Or maybe she wasn’t referring to her actual home. Maybe she just wants out of this place. I wouldn’t want to be here, either. Would you? But not only do I not have access to the old house anymore, I don’t have any house to take her back to.”

Now was the time to tell her. “Yes, you do.”

“I can’t take her to your house with Effie. Are you crazy?”

“I don’t mean that.”

She shook her head. “I’m not following you.”

I inhaled and then let it all out. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

“What?”

“The house that I’m renovating, the one Effie and I will move into?” I paused. “It’s your old house. I bought it from the people your father sold it to.”

Chapter 33

CHLOE

Oh my God. What? My mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was planning on it, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. I didn’t want you to think it was some kind of power trip or that I was holding it over your head. But I was going to tell you, soon.”

I shook my head. “I’m surprised Effie didn’t say anything. She doesn’t know the connection?”

“She knows I bought us a new house, and that it’s under renovation, but I haven’t explained the backstory yet. So no, she wasn’t keeping it from you either. Recently I decided to wait until it was finished and surprise you, too.”