Chapter 45

Kelly POV

Seeing Susan in the neighborhood was the last thing I expected. I stopped mid-step, my keys digging into my palm. I blinked as if she might disappear, some trick of the light or my tired brain. But there she was, standing casually with her hands in her jacket pockets, a grin forming on her face when she spotted me.

“Kelly?” she called out, her voice carrying both surprise and excitement. It cut through the quiet street.

“Susan?” I asked, disbelief in my tone. My mouth felt dry. “What are you doing here?”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. The sound was familiar, unchanged.

“Have you forgotten? This is where we first met during our childhood. My adoptive parents still live here. Their house is just about a mile away,” she said, pointing down the road. Her finger aimed pas