Chapter One Hundred-One

On a lovely afternoon, Karina laid Sophie on her bed, hoping she would take her siesta, but Sophie was a bit unwilling.

"I want to play hide and seek with Aunt Phoebe or you," Sophie said, her eyes pleading.

"You need to sleep first," Karina replied gently. "After an hour, you can play after having a rest."

Sophie nodded obediently but asked, "Can you stay with me?"

Karina hesitated. "I have something to do in my room, but I promise I'll come back to check on you soon."

Sophie smiled. "Thank you for picking me up from school today and not going to work."

Karina smiled back and nodded. She wanted to ask Sophie why she had lied about her encounter with a man at the supermarket the other day but decided against it. Instead, she said, "I'll likely stay home for a couple more days so we can spend time together."

Sophie's face lit up with elation. Karina pecked her on the forehead, pulled the duvet up, and stood up. She walked to the door, which was slightly open, and watched as her daughte