POV: Ariana

I half expected Mom to follow me, barging back into the house, demanding an apology for whatever had just happened. I had never been good at arguing with her; her words tangled up in my head like knotted rope, and my own voice faltered beneath the weight of her authority. But today was different. Today, I felt a surge of adrenaline, maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or maybe it was the truth I was starting to uncover.

As I watched her leave, getting into the car with Freddie and driving off into the distance, I couldn't help but chuckle softly. It's funny how oblivious she could be,...