“Dear, dear… it’s me, Mom,” the voice said gently from the phone speaker.
Kafziel froze.
His body stiffened against the hospital bed, heart slamming hard against his ribs. The beeping monitor beside him spiked slightly, reacting to his sudden tension.
“…Mom?” he croaked. “Who?”
The word felt foreign on his tongue, heavy with years of silence and unresolved memories. His mind scrambled, trying to reconcile the sound of that voice with the woman he hadn’t seen in so long.
Bea shifted uncomfortably beside the bed. She bit her lip, then spoke quickly, almost too quickly. “I contacted your mom,” she said abruptly.
“What?” Kafziel’s eyes widened. Panic flared instantly. “Wait—what?” His breath hitched as he tried to sit up, only to wince and fall back against the pillows.
His brother ente
