Prodigal Daughter
Copyright© 2025 by DB86
Chapter 5
“Good morning, Elise,” Laura greeted her at breakfast. “You seem to be in a good mood. I’ll take that as a sign everything went well with the Olsons?”
Elise got the impression that Laura had already heard about her visit.
She smiled. “Good morning, Laura. Everything went better than I expected. I’ll admit, I had my doubts, but Paul and his family welcomed me more warmly than I deserved.”
“Why do you say that?” Laura asked, placing a cup of coffee and a plate of scones in front of her.
“Well, I wrecked their front yard,” Elise said, unsure how much the people of Middletown knew—whether they knew Paul was her father, or what had happened between them.
Laura nodded and turned her attention to getting breakfast ready for the other guests.
“I wish I had a family like Paul and Mary Olson,” Elise said, chewing her lip.
“They’re not wealthy,” Laura pointed out.
“Why do you think I’m wealthy?” Elise asked, frowning.
Laura smiled. “The dress you were wearing when you arrived, your perfume, even your wrecked car ... Everything about you screams money.”
Elise shrugged. “I used to think I had a good life. Now, I’m starting to question a lot of the things I believed in.”
“Are you saying money can’t buy happiness? That sounds a bit cliché.”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Oh?”
“We need money to meet our basic needs. But there are people who are still unhappy, even with money.”
“So, you’re saying money doesn’t bring happiness to everyone—it can help, but some people are still miserable despite having it,” Laura summarized.
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