Milo walked into the kitchen that morning and stopped short at the sight of Michelle standing in the middle with a suitcase at her feet. She wore nice clothes, her eyes red-rimmed like she'd been crying for a while now.
Stella was in front of her, gripping both her hands, tears streaming freely down her round face. "Why? What happened? Something happened with your family?"
"Yes," Michelle said, her voice steady but tired. "My mom is suddenly sick. I have to go back."
Stella pulled her into a tight hug, sobbing openly now. "Oh dear, I will really miss you."
Milo stood frozen in the doorway, guilt crawling up his throat. He was sure this was his fault. He was the one who'd told Roderick what he'd seen in the garden.
He didn't know if Salvatore had fired her outright, but he felt responsible.
