My chest tightened. Everyone in the office had grown used to me stepping out to call her twice a day, once at dawn, once at noon. That ritual had been my lifeline. But now… I shook my head. "No. Not anymore."
She hesitated, then gave me a small nod, as if she knew better than to pry. She walked away, leaving me with the silence that wrapped around my heart like chains. s**t! It hurts.
I sat there staring at my phone, thumb hovering over Liora's name. I could almost hear her giggle, the way she'd say "Mommy, come home soon." But I didn't press the call. I couldn't, not when every unanswered ring cut me open deeper than claws ever could. I know.
After work, I picked up groceries, even bought a small potted plant I didn't need. It was something to hold, something alive, because inside I fe
