A Caged Songbird's Escape: Into the Arms of a Predator novel Chapter 390

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Suzanne chuckled. "Honestly, child. You shouldn't have a guest see you out."

"It's no trouble, Suzanne. Please, don't get up," Elissa said with a smile. "I'll be right back to finish your treatment."

A black sedan was waiting in the driveway, the luggage already loaded. Elissa walked Laurel to the door, an odd feeling washing over her, like she was sending off a family member on a long trip. "So… when will you be back?"

"Next time?" Laurel considered it. "I don't think I'll be able to get away again this year. But you're always welcome to visit me in Cresthaven." Due to the nature of her work, all of her travel required official approval. This extended leave had been something she'd had to fight for.

A hint of disappointment flickered in Elissa's eyes, but she brightened at Laurel's invitation. "Okay! Once things settle down here, I'll come find you in Cresthaven."

From inside the car, Laurel watched in the rearview mirror as the small figure of the girl in the courtyard grew smaller and smaller. A memory, long blurred by time, suddenly surfaced. She had been on winter break, visiting Crestwave City. A two-year-old Vera had grabbed her hand and run with her all over the yard. When it was time for Laurel to return to school in Cresthaven, Vera had cried her eyes out, chasing after the car and calling out "Big sister, big sister," in her toddler lisp. Even after her parents picked Vera up, her heart-wrenching sobs had been audible long after the car had driven away.

Elissa waited until the car was completely out of sight before heading back upstairs, an unexplainable emptiness in her heart. It was strange. She had met many patients' families, but she had never felt this way before. It must be, she thought, because Laurel was just a genuinely good person.

When she re-entered the room, Suzanne was smiling knowingly. "You know, Laurel was supposed to leave this morning. She has a classified meeting in another province to get to after she returns to Cresthaven. By leaving now, she'll have to travel through the night just to make it."

Elissa was taken aback. "Then why didn't she leave earlier?"