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The streets were empty as we drove. There weren’t any other cars on the road and no pedestrians on the sidewalks. People were allowed to leave their houses for groceries and exercise, so I usually encountered at least one or two people walking their dogs or kids riding their bikes whenever I left the house. It seemed everyone had decided to remain firmly indoors this morning though. It was sad because the sun was out, and it was a perfect day.

“Do you think they’ll lift the restrictions soon?” Clary asked. It was like she’d read my mind.

I let out a long breath and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Mom thinks it could be weeks before we get any more freedom. The case numbers seem to have plateaued, but there’s still so many people getting sick with the virus.”

Clary nodded, and her eyes filled with sadness. “I’ve been trying to avoid watching the news. It’s just too depressing.”

“Same,” I agreed. “I just get Mom to update me on everything that’s going on.” It was easier that way. I found it too hard to listen to all the bad news from around the world. I couldn’t do anything to change it. Maybe I was being a little selfish, but life felt a bit more normal when I didn’t confront the constant flood of pandemic footage on the TV.

I pulled up outside Clary’s house, and a small gasp escaped her lips as her eyes narrowed on the driveway. I followed her gaze, trying to figure out what was wrong. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though. “What is it?”

Her skin had gone pale and she slowly turned to me. “Aiden, that’s my parents’ car in the driveway.”

“And?”

“And they left it at the airport when they went on their trip.”

My eyes widened. “You don’t think they…”

Clary didn’t allow me to finish the sentence as she pushed the truck door open and launched out of her seat. At the same moment, the front door to her house burst open. Clary stopped in her tracks as tears started to cascade down her cheeks. I quickly jumped from the truck and raced to join her.

As I looked up the path to the front door, I saw why Clary was in such shock. Standing on the front porch were Mr. and Mrs. James.

Clary’s parents were finally home.

22

Clary

Iwas shaking as I stared into the loving eyes of my parents. I felt cemented to the spot though, unable to move. It didn’t seem real that my parents were here. Not even slightly. But as they both started to smile, the reality of their presence finally seemed to set in.

“Mom? Dad?” I whispered. The cement holding my feet to the ground dissolved, and I started to rush toward them.

I had barely taken two steps when Dad’s expression fell, and he lifted his hands up in front of him. “You can’t come any closer, Clary.”

I stopped, frowning as I tried to understand. I was standing only halfway up the sidewalk to the house and couldn’t fathom why Dad didn’t want to hug me.

“We’ve been advised to quarantine for the next fourteen days to make sure we’re not infected with the virus,” he explained. “I’m sorry, kiddo, but we can’t be near you.”

The pure joy I’d felt at their return was dampened slightly by his words, but it quickly returned as I stared at the two of them. My parents both looked healthy and happy. They did seem a little tired, but it was probably because they’d just gotten off a long flight. They were back in the country though, and that was the most important thing.

“That’s fine,” I said, happy tears gathering in my eyes. “I’m just so happy you guys are home. I can’t believe it.” My voice broke as I spoke, emotion flooding my every word.

Mom’s face lit up in a grin. “Well, it’s true. Surprise!”

I let out a choked laugh as I tried to stop the tears. “How is this possible?”

“We weren’t the only travelers stuck in the area, and the government chartered an emergency flight to get us all home,” Dad replied.

“And you guys didn’t tell me?” Frustration colored my tone. I’d been worrying about my parents constantly from the moment I’d first heard they were stranded overseas. How could they let me fret any longer than I needed to?

“We told Jade,” Mom replied. “But we didn’t want to tell you in case the flight somehow fell through. It all happened very last minute. We didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

I went quiet as I allowed her explanation to sink in. I’d barely spoken to them this week, and any time they answered the phone, they’d always been too busy to talk. Our exchanges had been so brief I hadn’t had a chance to tell them about my relationship with Aiden. It had felt a bit like they’d been avoiding me, but it suddenly all made sense.

“You’ve been dodging my calls all week. Is this why?” I asked.

Mom didn’t even look slightly guilty as she nodded. “You know I’m hopeless at lying. We thought you’d be happy.”