Chloe sat on the edge of the bed in her mother’s small but cozy apartment. The walls were painted a soft cream color, and the warm glow from the bedside lamp gave the room a peaceful feel. She had spent most of the evening chatting with her mother, catching up on everything they had missed over the past few weeks.
It had been a long time since they had shared a moment like this. Her mother had looked happy, truly happy, as they talked about small things—the neighbors, the latest movies, even what she had been cooking recently. Chloe had laughed more in these few hours than she had in weeks.
She glanced at her phone, wondering what Starry was doing. She had promised herself she wouldn’t think about him too much while she was here, but it was hard not to.
Then, she heard it.
A man’s voic
