Chapter 63: The Waiting
The waiting was the hardest part.
Days turned into weeks, and every time Lily's phone buzzed, Maya watched her jump. She'd see her daughter's hand reach for it, hesitate, then check the screen with a mix of hope and dread. Each time it wasn't the news she was waiting for, she'd force a smile and say, "It's fine. It's still early." But Maya could see the way her shoulders tensed, the way her eyes lingered on the phone a little too long, the way she'd pick at her fingernails when she thought no one was looking. She'd catch Lily staring into space, her coffee growing cold in front of her. She'd see her jump at every notification, her face falling when it was just a text from a friend. She'd watch her scroll through the same emails over and over, hoping she'd missed s
