Chapter 1

- POV Karen Miller

It's strange to return to New York where I spent part of my childhood and half of my adolescence, I have many good memories, others not so much. We leave here practically running away from my father, but this is not the time to talk about him.

We came back out of necessity, we weren't able to pay the rent, and work is scarce in Porto Alegre, we are apprehensive about staying here but we don't have many options, this is our place, we don't need to pay the rent.

We arrived yesterday morning and we're off to a good start, getting a job at a coffee shop, it's far from home, but walking isn't a problem for me. My mother will continue to do the daily work, I always help her as much as I can, she said she has some clients.

My room is as I remembered it, no one has touched it here and I wonder if this house is still in our name.

...

In the morning.

“Karen, wake up!” I wake up to my mother calling me. “Come on, daughter, if you’re not going to be late.”

I got up when I remembered that I would start work today, I ran to the bathroom, making my mother laugh. I take off my clothes and go straight to the shower to wake up soon, as I'm still asleep. This is the result, of sleeping late at night.

I brush my teeth, look at my reflection in the mirror, sigh, and run my hands over my face, squeezing my cheeks a little to give them a little color. I'm not one to wear makeup, so I'm usually pale.

I heard my mother calling again and I quickly left the bathroom and immediately put on my clothes, that is, a uniform that looked more like a bikini.

“Daughter, have your coffee,” my mother says when I appear in the kitchen.

“I’m not hungry, Mom,” I say, I know I’m going to get scolded

“I didn’t ask if you wanted Karen,” he says in a reprimanding tone. “I’m telling you to eat and all this, I don’t want you to get sick.”

Speaks showing some toast and coffee.

Sigh.

Lately, I have no appetite, not that I don't like to eat, but I don't feel like it. Mom keeps scolding me because I need to eat, I must have worms. Or I'm just nervous about going back to this place.

“Ready, Mom!” I finish eating and I'm going to get up straight away, I'm going for a long walk.

“Aren’t you forgetting anything, Karen?” she speaks with her hand on her hip, a funny position.

“Blessings, Mother!” I approach and kiss her.

“Be careful, daughter” she says lovingly.

I walk lazily through the streets that are not yet busy, it's not even seven o'clock yet. Mom insisted that I take the bus, but I preferred to walk, we have to save as much as possible, and we still can't afford to spend on things that have another option.

We need to stabilize ourselves better and see what will happen, I don't know what Alaric's reaction will be when he finds out about our return. I hope he forgot we existed, I don't want to go through that hell again. Much less change again.

I'm startled by the sound of a horn behind me, I turn around and see a black car. By instinct I quicken my steps, I'm not even in the middle of the street to do this.

I look ahead and there is still no sign of anyone around here and I start to regret refusing the money for the bus. The car accelerates and in the blink of an eye, he is in front of me, now stopped. I can't see who is inside the vehicle but terror is taking over my body.

The car door opened and I just thought about how to get out of there, I turned in the opposite direction from where I was coming, and I started walking after a while I was running like crazy.

“Karen! Karen!” I heard someone calling me, I stopped running when I found the familiar voice.

I look back and come across one of the people I miss most, I can't hold back the tears as he approaches.

“My little goat!” He hugs me tight and I cry on his shoulder.

Derek was the person who helped us get out of town, he risked his job, and worse, his life for me. He witnessed some things, but he never did anything because I interfered, he was always like a brother to me. Not seeing him for four years was horrible.

“I miss you so much, Deri!” I look at him, I touch his hair.

“You can’t imagine how much yours feels too” he takes my hand out of his hair, I know he doesn’t like me touching it.

“You scared me” I hit his chest.

“I didn’t even notice” is funny. “But why the hell are you walking around here alone, especially at this time?”

“I’m going to my job” I explain. "My God! Speaking of which, I need to go. If I don’t I’ll be late on the first day.”

I kiss your face.

“I’ll take you!” He pulls my arm, leading me towards the car. “You can’t walk alone.”

“I have no other option. I do, but I need to save up.”

“In the car, we talk better” I agree and we walk to the car, he opens the door and I get in.

“Do you still work for the Bennet family?” the question sounds more like a statement.

“Yes, I still work. I’m stuck with this family” That didn’t seem like a joke. “Agatha is looking forward to seeing you.”

He smiled when he remembered that we were always very close, even far away there wasn't a day when we didn't talk. I remember when we agreed to lose BV together, we did a lot during our adolescence.

“I also really want to see her. Ah, I miss practically everything, especially messing around with the girls “I do a little dance showing all my happiness and anxiety. “I hope everyone is still the same.

“And they are goats, just a few things have changed in their lives” he commented thoughtfully. “Other than that, everything is as it was before.”

"Great!" I'm just saying that, I noticed Derick's sigh, seeming to remember something and it wasn't good. “But what about you, are you dating?” I changed the topic of the conversation.

“We’re here!” I stop at the car, and I look at him. “Are you avoiding my question? Derick Santana” I look suspicious. “I still have time!”

Derek sighs, there's something.

“We’ll talk about it later, okay?” I got out of the car. “Now there are people who want to see you”, he says, opening the door.

To my surprise and complete joy. Agatha, Carla, and Robert are in front of the coffee shop with posters and some balloons written“Welcome back Karen” This is too much, but once I cry. They see and hug me tight together, and now I feel at home knowing that they are still here for me, they waited for me and missed me.