Chapter 8 - The Move to Columbus
Three weeks after the nightmare on Christmas Day, the morning of the move finally arrived.
A large blue moving truck backed down the driveway of the townhouse at 7:00 AM. A crew of professional movers efficiently loaded the furniture, mattresses, taped boxes, and kitchenware into the back of the vehicle.
The weather had shifted. The harsh, icy storm of late December had given way to a soft, gentle snowfall that dusted the rooftops and trees in a scenic blanket of white.
Emily took a final walkthrough of the empty townhouse. She stood in the vacant living room, looking at the bare floorboards where their Christmas tree had stood just weeks ago. This townhouse had served them well—it was where they had spent their early married years, where they had brought Lily home from the hospital, where they had quietly laid the foundation for their future.
Now, it was clean, polished, and ready to be rented to a quiet young couple who had signed a lease agreement the week prior. The rental income would cover the mortgage on the townhouse and provide an extra stream of passive income for their family every month.
Ethan walked into the empty living room, sliding his hands into his coat pockets. "Truck is fully loaded. Drivers are headed toward Columbus."
"All clear here, too," Emily said, taking one last look around before stepping out into the hallway.
They locked the front door of the townhouse, handed the extra keys to their property manager, and climbed into their SUV. Lily was tucked safely in her car seat in the back, holding her stuffed rabbit and pointing happily at the snowflakes landing on the window pane.
May you like
As Ethan started the engine, Emily took her old SIM card out of her phone, pulled out a small pin, opened the SIM tray, and replaced it with a brand-new card containing her new phone number—a number shared only with Ethan, Lily’s school, and their absolute closest trusted friends.
She glanced out the side window as Ethan turned the car onto the main road. Suburban Ohio stretched out behind them, a maze of old memories and artificial obligations that no longer held any power over her.
