When Fiona got home from school and spotted the note on the kitchen table, it felt like her whole world had just imploded.
In big, carefree handwriting, it simply said: "Off on an adventure, don't bug us unless it's an emergency." At the end, her mom had cheekily added a smiley face emoji.
"…"
Fiona dashed to her parents' room, only to find it completely stripped bare. It was like Sophie and Colby had vanished overnight, leaving not a single trace behind.
From the window of the Costello family's home, Fiona heard a car horn blaring. Alec had already pulled up at the mansion's entrance.
With a stormy look on her face, Fiona rushed downstairs, ready to vent to Alec: "It's over! My parents have disappeared!"
Alec, however, seemed unfazed: "Big deal. My parents did the same thing!"
Fiona's face darkened even more. "These unreliable adults!"
Meanwhile, Sophie and Colby were already soaring off overseas.
"Colby, I gotta admit, since leaving the house, my guilt's been off the charts," Sophie said, trying not to laugh at the thought of their daughter's reaction to the note.
It wasn't that she was a lousy mother, but she had to admit, it was a bit on the cheeky side.
"The kids are grown up now; they need their own space to grow. We don't need to hover over them all the time," Colby said. "They might even like it better without us around."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Revenge is best served cold