Penny's POV
The silence after my parents' announcement stretches way too long to handle. I can even hear the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. But no one says anything at first.
It's ridiculous, my family is never this quiet. We thrive on noise, on overlapping conversations, on teasing each other until someone's sides hurt. And yet, right now, the words hang in the air as if all of us are afraid that acknowledging them will make them more real.
"We're… moving?" I finally manage to say, breaking the silence, my voice smaller than I intend.
Dad's expression softens. "Yes. Back to Grandpa's house on Willow Street."
"The one with the peeling shutters and the sagging porch swing?" Jess blurts out, almost laughing. "That's not a house, that's a character-building exercise."
