The countdown to Sunday ticked louder in Sierra’s head with every passing hour. Even the air felt heavy, as though the house itself knew it was waiting for an explosion.
She couldn’t escape her mother’s eyes. At breakfast, at dinner, even in silence across the living room Vanessa’s gaze lingered, patient, sharp, like a blade being polished. Each look said the same thing: I see you. I know you. I’m waiting.
Sierra found herself trembling at the smallest sound. A door creaking open, a drawer sliding shut. Every noise felt like a threat.
A Sudden Invitation
That afternoon, Vanessa appeared in Sierra’s doorway without knocking. She leaned against the frame, her figure elegant in a cream silk blouse, her smile effortless.
“Walk with me,” she said.
It wasn’t a request.
Sierra’s stomach tw
