The Message That Changed Everything
A few hours later, my phone buzzed.
MOM. YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
I smiled and immediately typed back.
What happened?
Her reply came a minute later.
I’LL TELL YOU WHEN I GET HOME. IT’S CRAZY.
Then she stopped answering.
At first, I assumed she was dancing. Then eleven o’clock came. Then eleven-thirty.
By midnight, I was standing at the front window, checking the driveway every few seconds.
Finally, headlights swept across the curtains.
Iris rushed through the door looking thrilled, confused, and overwhelmed all at once.
“Mom, something happened tonight, and I—”
She suddenly glanced back at Ryan, who had followed her inside.
“Actually, let me get Ryan some water. This is going to be a long story.”
The moment she disappeared into the kitchen, Ryan turned to me.
His warm smile vanished.
“You have five minutes,” he said.
And the past I had buried came roaring back.
