AMELIA froze, her pen hovering over the keyboard.
“W— what?” she exclaimed, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Again, Adrian. Again.
“I know, I know!” Hazel giggled, spinning around. “It was a surprise! We drew together, laughed, and he even brought me colored pencils! Mom, it was so much fun!”
Amelia’s heart sank, though she tried to mask it with a calm voice.
“Hazel… did he tell you to tell me about this?”
“No!” Hazel shook her head vigorously. “He didn't also say it was a secret. But I wanted to tell you because it was the best day ever!”
Amelia’s eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a thin line. Her chest felt tight, and anger began bubbling beneath the surface.
“Hazel, he wasn’t supposed to… he wasn’t supposed to—” Her voice cracked slightly as the fury built.
“But Mom,” Hazel pr
