Franklin's fork slipped from his fingers and hit the plate with a soft clink.
The sound felt louder than it should've been, sharp enough to slice through the room.
Cassie froze instantly, her hand still pressed against Tristan's. She didn't pull away. Instead, she tightened her fingers around his, grounding both of them as she turned to look at him.
Her eyes softened, filled with a quiet kind of love that didn't need explaining.
"Tristan," she said gently, her voice steady even though her heart was pounding, "adult matters. They're complicated. Messy sometimes. But no matter how things turn out, I need you to understand something."
She squeezed his hand. "You will always be my son."
Tristan believed her. But life had already taught him that love could shift when emotion
