“Please, be safe. If not for yourself, then for your poor mother.”
Annabel nodded, giving her mother a tight-lipped smile while she hugged her with a strength the slim, fragile woman didn’t look like she possessed. She let go of Anna and stepped toward Iris, wrapping her hands around her without a word. Iris froze in surprise, standing still as if she was being touched by a snake that might bite her at any moment.
Anna smiled wider as she hugged her father, taking in the familiar scent of paper and tobacco. It felt like so long ago when they were all together at home, sitting in the living room where he would read a book and help with her homework or talk about his research while she hung on every word.
No matter what her parents thought of her choices or actions, they were her family a
