Nancy's POV  

The house settled into a quiet, domestic hum after dinner. Mom was in the living room, her phone pressed tight to her ear, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper as she paced back and forth in front of the coffee table.

I had slipped into the hallway, pretending to grab a glass of water from the kitchen, but I lingered just out of sight. The cool tile under my bare feet kept me grounded while I strained my ears to catch her words.

She thought I was already upstairs in bed, but something tight and anxious in her tone rooted me to the spot.

"I don't know,...