Kathy hesitated, her thumb hovering above the green button as the phone vibrated softly in her hand. The quiet after breakfast was still settling in the house, the echoes of laughter and footsteps fading away. Sarah watched her with a gentle, curious gaze, but said nothing, sensing the delicate web of old memories tightening around Kathy.
She inhaled deeply, steeling herself, and answered, her voice steady though her pulse fluttered like a trapped bird. "Hello?" she said, unsure what might spill through the line—awkward small talk, news, or perhaps the hint of a long-buried grievance.
“Kathy?” The voice was tentative, unfamiliar from the distance of years and the static of lives lived apart. It was indeed her step-sister, reaching out from the other side of silence.
“Hi,” Kathy managed,
