Seven years slipped by in the blink of an eye.
I'd grown into a well-respected architectural designer within the industry.
My creative projects had even claimed international design awards.
I owned my own design studio, a cozy apartment I could truly call home, and even adopted an orange tabby cat to keep me company.
I'd thought my life would never intersect with the Nelsons again.
That illusion shattered the day an unfamiliar number flashed across my phone screen.
An aged, weary voice came through the line—Samuel's.
"Your mother's very sick. The doctors say she doesn't have much time left. If you're free, come back and see her one last time," he said, all the cold sternness of years ago worn away by time, leaving only helpless exhaustion.
Silence stretched on for a long moment bef
