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WHEN JUDE PULLED up against the front lawn of her childhood home, she was still fuming from her run-in with Miguel O'Hara. It was always the hot ones that were also arrogant and apparently, liked to almost cause car accidents. Jude tapped her fingers on the wheel, willing herself to get out of the car, but couldn't stop herself from fixating on their conversation.
Miguel O'Hara.
Even his name was hot. She released an irritated grumble.
Fuck that guy.
Jude looked to her right, finally taking in her parent's home – her old home. It was still as small as ever, which meant her father never built an addition like he said he would when she was a teenager. (Jude was definitely going to be sleeping in her old room turned guest room, which was basically closet-sized.) A few roof shingles were lifting on the house, and maroon paint was almost fulling chipped away, revealing the rotting wood underneath. The Louisiana heat had turned their grass a mixture of olive green and yellow, completely dead. Her mother had three little flamingo lawn ornaments out all year long. The paint on them looked like it had washed away over the years, leaving the flamingos close to white. Around them were tiny cherub statues, as well as a tall garden statue of Jesus with his arms spread out, except part of his left arm had fallen off somehow and laid on the grass beside a flamingo. And then, there was her father's prized cross on the door, which was passed down to him from generation to generation. The cross was huge, almost half the height of the front door, and had a knocker attached to the middle of it.
She sighed, running a hand over her face, and wondered if there was still time to back out of her decision. But then the front door was opening, and her father walked out with a huge smile on his face. The same smile he would always address his congregation with.
"Willodean!" He called as she stepped out of the car. Her expression was flat, still trying to feign a smile. "You didn't say you were coming, dear. But deep inside, I knew. I prepared the guest room for you and everything."
