Mindy walked up the familiar path to the small house that still stood in the old neighborhood. The house, with its worn paint and overgrown garden, seemed almost to mirror the state of her heart—once vibrant, now faded and neglected.
She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. After a moment, her mother, Grace opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in the sight of her daughter standing on the doorstep. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, "Mindy? Wh–how did you know I was here?"
Mindy took a deep breath, her voice steady despite the pain she felt. "It wasn't that hard to find you, Mum. You're an orphan, both parents deceased, and you have no sister. The only brother you have betrayed you, so you couldn't go to him. With nowhere else to go, I figured this would be the only place you might be."
