The morning sun climbed high into the sky, casting a warm, lazy light over the city of Valor City. It was the weekend, a time for rest, but for the Lacy family, rest was a luxury they rarely afforded themselves.
However, after a night of emotional turmoil and exhaustion that felt like a marathon, Sarah Lacy and her daughter, Alex Lacy, slept in until the sun was scorching their backs―a rare indulgence for the usually disciplined mother. The curtains fluttered gently in the breeze, filtering the light into soft, dancing patterns on the duvet.
At ten o'clock in the morning, Sarah gently pulled Alex out of the tangled sheets. The little girl was clearly reluctant to leave the warm cocoon of her dreams. She rubbed her eyes with chubby fists, her hair a bird's nest of tangles. She slid off th
