When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 6

For a split second, Carrie almost didn’t recognize the lady in front of her. She didn’t look like her mom at all. She looked more like one of those elegant actresses you see on TV, distant and flawless. Actually, Carrie just realized her mom was kind of pretty.

“What’s up?” Nelly asked, her voice lazy, still heavy with sleep.

“Mom, do you even know what time it is? You’re still in bed?” Carrie blinked her big, round eyes at her, but her tone was strict, almost like a tiny grown-up.

Nelly just answered calmly, “I didn’t sleep well last night. I need some rest.”

“But it’s Monday. You have work. You know you have to work, so you should’ve gone to bed early last night. That’s your fault.” Carrie kept going. “Dad’s tired all the time too, but he never acts like this.”

Carrie was smart, way more mature than other kids her age. She looked down on Nelly a little, so she liked to “teach” her mom lessons like this. Until today though, Nelly had never noticed how much Carrie’s expression mirrored Brody’s when she talked—cold, detached, always ready to point out someone else’s mistakes.

Before, Nelly always thought this was just a sign her daughter was clever, so she would play along and say sorry. This time, though, she didn’t bother.

“So?” Nelly said.

“So?” Carrie was thrown off, totally unprepared for that response.

“Are you saying all this because you want me to go to work? I already told you, I’m really tired. Do you want me to force herself and end up sick? Is that what a good daughter wants?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Carrie was still a kid after all, and being called out like that made her cheeks turn pink. It felt like all her thoughts had been exposed.

“Good. I’m going back to sleep. You should get ready for kindergarten.” Nelly yawned, making it clear the conversation was over.

Carrie frowned, her lips parted like she wanted to argue back. She was mad, but she didn’t know how to win this one. It was weird. Her mom was usually terrible at comebacks.

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