PROLOGUE

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❝IF IT EVER HAPPENS TO MEAGAIN, WILL YOU COME?EVEN IF YOU'RE MILES AWAY?❞

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❝IF IT EVER HAPPENS TO ME
AGAIN, WILL YOU COME?
EVEN IF YOU'RE MILES AWAY?❞

1998
It was a Saturday morning. Aliya woke up from the sounds of moving trucks and the smell of Blueberry pancakes from the kitchen downstairs.

The little girl carefully walked down the stairs in her panties, her eyes still dreary from a good nap. Her mother, Amelia noticed Aliya while setting up the dining table with pancakes and a pitchel of orange juice, her brunette hair pinned with a flower clip.

"Oh Aliya! There you are." Amelia said, pretending to be surprised while wiping her hands with the fabric of her long brown skirt. Aliya put on a small smile while rubbing her eyes with her chubby fingers. "Good morning, mommy. Why is the table looking nice today?" Amelia chuckled because of Aliya's wrong use of words. She thought it's adorable of Aliya to think that she said it right.

"There is a family who just moved into our neighborhood today. They just live across from us, and I'm planning to invite them for breakfast, but since they're busy packing, I might as well invite them for dinner." Aliya didn't understand a thing her mother said, but she just slowly nod her head with a blank expression on her face.

Aliya sat comfortably on the soft cushion of her chair and took a moment to smell the delicious pancakes plopped perfectly on the plate, with syrup splayed on top of it. A huge smile appeared on Aliya's face and Amelia is glad to see her daughter happy first thing in the morning.

12:30
It's time to meet the new neighbors. Aliya put on her white shirt and denim shorts, the kind of outfit in which her mother would make her wear a flower hat. She doesn't like the idea of wearing flower hats, but since Amelia is sweating and shaking a lot since the neighbors arrived at their house at 10 in the morning, she would obediently wear the thing she hated the most.

Just a little while ago, the neighbors visited their home with a beautifully prepared basket, anxiety started to take over poor Amelia as she hid the handmade basket she was supposed to give to them.

The neighbors were really nice. They talked about their amazing abroad trips to Amelia, who have never gone to another country before. They also talked about the many honors their son had, who was back at their house playing video games according to them. Once the perfect couple finally left, Amelia wasn't talking about anything else unless Aliya have to ask some random questions like "Is water wet?" or "Is flamingo a fish?".

An hour later, the couple called to their house asking if they're free to come over for lunch in which Amelia answered with an indefinite yes, and quickly hang up the phone before the couple would tell them about the food they're cooking.

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