Chapter 17
Trevor’s words cheered Jordyn up , and she eagerly rattled off a list of her favorite dishes while Trevor listened attentive
When she finished , Wynn complimented her outfit .
“ Jo , your clothes look amazing today . They suit you so well
“ Really ? ”
Wynn smiled . “ Of course ! How was school today ? Did you get along with your classmates ? ”
The two chatted happily , while Trevor remained mostly silent as he calmly ate at a leisurely pace .
A passing waitress who was unaware of their dynamic saw the trio and mistakenly assumed they were a family . She glanced enviously at Wynn .
At that moment , Jordyn saw an incoming video call from Celeste .
It was the call she had requested that morning . However , she was in the middle of an animated conversation with Wynn and was reluctant to end the call .
Earlier that morning , seeing Celeste hug another child had opset her . )
But during class , the teacher had explained that parents always loved their children the most and that every child held a unique and irreplaceable place in their mother’s heart .
This reassurance had put Jordyn at case .
When Celeste noticed Jordyn hadn’t answered her call , she grew concerned and decided to contact Donna .
Donna was in the children’s rest area and answered with a sinile after hearing Celeste’s concern , “ Jo’s fine . She’s on a video call with her dad and a woman . If you’d like , I can go let Jo know- ”
“ No need , ” Celeste interjected .
She could deduce that Jordyn was chatting with Wynn and Trevor , who were likely having lunch together . She spoke softly . “ It’s alright . Let them enjoy their chat . ”
After ending the call , Celeste sent Jordyn a message instead to ask how her day at school was , whether she’d made any new friends , and what she had for lunch .
She also reminded her to listen to the teacher and nap when it was time .
Over ten minutes later , Celeste finally received a voice message from Jordyn .
“ Got it , Mom . ”
By the afternoon, after spending a full day with Naomi , Celeste realized the latter was outgoing , sociable , anch quite capable at her work .
At around 6:00 pm , as Celeste was about to head home , Nagini approached her and offered to take her out to dinner as thanks for her guidance .
“ That’s part of my jobs . No need to be so formal , Ms. Sanders . ” Celeste replied with a polite smile .
Naomi tried to persuade her further , but Celeste’s phone rang
It was from Queenie Scott , her mother – in – law .
Chapter 17
Celeste almost thought she had read the caller ID wrong .
Queenie had always looked down on her and barely interacted with her unless absolutely necessary . In all these years , she could count on one hand the number of times Queenie had reached out .
Puzzled , Celeste answered , “ Mom ? ”
“ Tucker’s been secretly racing cars . I don’t trust him . I’ll send you the address . Go bring him back . ”
Then , Queenie promptly hung up . Moments later , a text with the address followed .
Celeste glanced at the message and saw that the location was a racetrack on the outskirts of the city . Turning to Naomi , she said , “ Sorry , something urgent came up . I have to get going. ”
Over an hour later , Celeste arrived at the racetrack . The venue was expansive , bustling even at night , with the loud noise of engines and chatter filling the air .
Celeste called Tucker’s phone repeatedly , but he didn’t pickup .
Left with no choice , she began searching for him on foot .
After nearly 20 minutes of weaving through the crowd , she finally spotted him .
Tucker looked stunned when he saw her . “ Celeste ? What are you doing here ? ” Celeste proceeded to explain that Queenie had told her to bring him back .