Cass slipped into the house with quiet footsteps, sunlight just beginning to warm the front windows. She still smelled faintly of Lena’s vanilla shampoo from the long hug they’d shared before she left. The night at her best friend’s place had steadied her. It felt like stepping out of a storm for a few hours, long enough to breathe again.
But the moment she entered the kitchen, everything tightened inside her.
Her mother was waiting.
She stood by the counter with a mug of coffee cupped in both hands, shoulders drawn in a way that looked almost defensive. Her face wasn’t cold, but it held a seriousness Cass hadn’t seen before. Not anger. Not disappointment.
Something quieter. Something searching.
Cass paused by the doorway, unsure whether to speak or retreat.
“You’re back early,” her
