Sophia stood in the large panes the of windows in the studio, watching as the sun slowly lowered itself into its bed below the horizon. The golden glow of the city slowly melted to orange and pink hues, casting long shadows across the room. Out there, it was serene, but deep inside her, there was a knot of anxiety twisting itself in her stomach.
It had been building up, this tension between her and her parents. But after the art show, her mother hadn't even called to congratulate her. Not a word about the success-about how proud she should have been. The silence hurt more than any disapproving words.
And it wasn't just her mother. Her father was just about as unreachable as ever, reaching out only when he wanted to know how the business structures were holding up or how recently she had
