Hours passed like clouds dragging across the sky.
Then Victoria's phone rang.
The sound made all of us jump.
She grabbed it quickly, fingers fumbling with the screen. Her mouth opened, but no words came at first. Her face shifted, slowly crumbling.
Then—her voice rose, sharp and desperate.
“Why should he be arrested?! That’s not possible! My son can’t be behind bars!”
She stood there, frozen.
The call ended.
She turned to Raven, eyes wide and full of something that was no longer just panic—it was fear, and guilt, and something darker.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I have to go.”
And she was gone before anyone could stop her.
The door swung shut behind her.
And once again, the room fell quiet.
More hours passed, and Mom kept doing what she could to keep Raven calm. She sat close
