Victoria sat in the front passenger seat, already checking her phone as it vibrated continuously. Calls. Messages. Notifications.
The fallout had already started.
But I wasn't paying attention.
Not to the phone.
Not to the headlines.
Not to whatever Arthur, Daniel, or Amelia were doing right now.
My attention was on the woman sitting beside me.
My mother.
The woman I had buried years ago.
The woman I had cried for.
The woman I had spent years missing.
And now she was sitting close enough for me to reach out and touch.
The reality still hadn't fully settled inside me.
I glanced at her.
She was already looking at me.
A sad smile touched her lips.
"You're thinking."
I gave a short laugh.
"That's one way of putting it."
Her smile widened slightly.
Then faded.
Because she k
