Chapter 103

We told Aunt Mel that we were spending Christmas abroad a week before Christmas. She cried a lot, so much so that she had to cover her mouth.

Mom was very upset too. She kept Aunt Mel company for the whole morning, and her eyes were all puffy.

Aunt Mel went on about how disappointed she was regarding Felix. She couldn't understand why he became so inconsiderate about his family's feelings. She also mentioned that Lilac looked like a cunning woman, and that she feared that she might hurt Felix.

There was nothing much Mom could do except offer words of consolation. She could empathize with Aunt Mel very well. After all, we had been neighbors for 20 years—we were like a family now.

We treated each other like a part of our lives, but Mom couldn't do anything about Lilac's visit. For the first time in 20 years, we had our Sunday roast separately. I didn't know how the Whites coped with that, but my family was enjoying ourselves.

Mom cooked a delicious meal, and Dad opened a bottle of r