The car ride was painfully quiet, with Eva staring blankly out the window, watching the city pass by in a blur. Her mother gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. She had offered to drive today. An uncomfortable tension hung in the air, like dark clouds before a storm.
Eva opened her mouth, then closed it, the words dying on her lips before she could voice them. What was she supposed to say? Their usual easy banter had vanished this morning, leaving an awkward silence.
Claire seemed to struggle with the same urge to break the stillness. Finally, she spoke up, her tone forced and overly cheerful. "Ready for a fun mother-daughter shopping day?"
Eva exhaled slowly, nodding without conviction. "Yeah...”
The parking lot was packed when they arrived at the mall. As th
