The air thickened, heavy with the weight of secrets on the verge of breaking free. Dahlia’s voice had softened, but the hesitation in her words only made Maya’s chest tighten, unease gnawing at her with every heartbeat. The silence between them stretched, fragile and dangerous, as if the truth waiting to be spoken could shatter the fragile pieces of her world in an instant.
Dahlia’s gaze softened, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as her fingers curled together in her lap, trembling slightly. For a long moment, she seemed to struggle with the words, her chest rising and falling as if every breath weighed her down.
“There’s a reason your mother never spoke about her family… or anyone from her old life,” she said at last, her voice breaking gently, fragile but certain.
Her lips quiver
