Shanaya took me to the third house down the hill, saying it was the one I had lived in for many years. The house was made of light wood, single-storied, and had a beautiful patio in front along with a well-kept garden. I was quite surprised—it was remarkably well-maintained, even though, clearly, no one had been living there.
Shanaya opened the front gate, and the lush green grass of the lawn was soothing to the eyes.
"Evelyn, we've all missed you. Just seeing this house without any life in it... it's too much to bear. But you looked so sad, like you didn't want to come here. We were sad too, but we respected your decision. You have a family there now, and nature has given you the chance to save them. So we understand—you didn't want to lose that," Shanaya said as we walked along the little cobalt stone pathway leading to the main door.
"We've been taking turns for the dusting and cleaning, just so everything would be all right," she added as she opened the door.
