AUTHOR’S POV
Olivia sighed and placed the phone against her ear. "Hi, Mom," she said, trying to sound upbeat, and her mother's voice on the other end was tinged with excitement, asking how things were going.
Olivia replied, "It is going well," but even she could hear the flatness in her voice.
There was a brief silence on the other end before her mother spoke again, this time in a softer tone. “Are you sure? You don’t sound like yourself.”
Olivia closed her eyes, knowing what was coming even though she insisted she was fine. “How are things going with… you know?”
"I have not had a chance to talk to him yet," Olivia admitted, tracing her thumb along the edge of her cup. There was another pause, this time longer, before her mother's disappointed sigh practically vibrated through the
