CAMILLA
I glanced at my watch. Twenty-eight minutes to go. The waiting room was silent, the faint hum of the air conditioner doing nothing to alleviate my anxiety. Ava's face sprang in my mind—her smiles, the way her small hand slipped perfectly within mine. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since I left, and the guilt of being gone stood at me.
I pulled out my phone and called Marta's number, but the call connected just as I remembered Ava would be in school. Letting out a sigh, I spoke to her, and she said Ava's fine.
I'll call David after the meeting,
I mumbled to myself, already picturing him taking Ava for ice cream. It was a slight consolation, knowing she'd have someone who could make her happy.
To distract myself, I opened the folder with notes for the press mee
