"Dashley?" her dad, Williams, called out as soon as he heard the front door creak open.
"Yes, Dad," she responded, walking into the kitchen to drop off the groceries she had picked up on her way home.
"There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Just then, Dashley stepped out of the kitchen. She was a seventeen-year-old young woman, standing at 5'4", with smooth caramel-toned skin, dark brown hair, full lips, and hazel eyes. Williams looked at her and gave a soft, wistful smile—she reminded him so much of his wife. Truth be told, Dashley had inherited most of her mother's features and demeanor, which had shaped her into the captivating young lady she had become.
She walked over and sat beside him on the double-seater sofa where he was resting.
"What is it, Dad?" she asked, settling in.
"You remind me so much of your mother," he said, turning his gaze away from her, staring into the distance.
"Can we not talk about Mom right now?" Dashley replied, her voice firm yet calm. "She chose to leave us six years ago, Dad. I know you miss her, but we can't keep holding on forever. I've moved on—you should too."
"Dashley… what if she had a reason? What if she didn't have a choice...?"
Her mother had vanished shortly after Dashley's eleventh birthday. No note, no explanation—not even a goodbye. That morning, excited to share another moment with her mom, she had rushed to her parents' room, only to find her father sitting on the bed, shattered and speechless. When she had asked what was wrong, he merely told her to get ready for school, avoiding her questions. It wasn't until months later that she overheard him talking to a friend, confessing that her mother had simply left them. Since that moment, resentment had taken root in Dashley's heart.
"Dad, if that's what you wanted to talk about, then maybe we shouldn't have this conversation at all. I'll go start dinner…"
"That's not why I called you," Williams interrupted gently. "I've been thinking about relocating. This house… it holds too many memories—memories of your mother and me. And like you said, maybe the only way to really move on is to leave this place behind."
"Do you already have somewhere in mind?" she asked, after pausing for a moment of thought.
"Yes. I've already secured a house. It's in Dereve. I wanted to let you know before finalizing the sale of this one."
"So that means I'll be transferring schools," she said, her brows slightly furrowed. "It's probably far from here—it won't be easy to keep commuting."
"If you're not comfortable with it, I'll look for somewhere closer…"
"No, it's okay," she said, offering a small smile. "If it'll help you move forward, then I'm in. I don't want you to be trapped in the past anymore."
"I'll always love your mother, Dashley. That will never change. But I'm ready to try. I'll begin the process of selling this house tomorrow, and by the day after, we'll be in Dereve."
"Tomorrow? That soon?"
"Actually, I've just been waiting to talk to you. There's already someone interested in buying the house. Do you need more time? Maybe to say goodbye to your friends?"
"Nah. You know me, Dad—I don't really have many friends."
"Alright then. What's for dinner?" he asked, smoothly changing the subject.
"Yam pottage, chicken, and egg salad. Your favorite," she said with a smile. She rose to her feet and returned to the kitchen to start preparing the meal, while Williams sat in silence, wondering if he was truly making the right decision by leaving the house behind.
Dinner was served later that evening. They ate quietly, exchanging only a few words. After they finished, Dashley cleared the table and cleaned up while her dad headed off to bed. Once everything was in order, she retreated to her room, her mind restless with thoughts of what her new life in Dereve might be like. Maybe, just maybe, she would make friends at the new school. But above all, her father's happiness was what mattered most to her.
The next morning, after a modest breakfast of leftover chicken, pancakes, and oats, Dashley left for school to process her transfer papers while Williams invited the prospective buyer over.
The transfer process was smoother than she had expected, and by noon, she had everything she needed. On her way back, she decided to bid farewell to the only two people she occasionally spoke with in town—the librarian and the woman at the grocery store.
By the time she returned home, the sun was already dipping into the late afternoon sky. Her father had completed the sale successfully. The buyer had agreed to move in the following week, giving them enough time to pack up and relocate. Williams described the new house in Dereve in detail- how peaceful the neighborhood was, how the house stood on a quiet lane, and how he believed it would be a fresh start for them both.