Hailey’s POV
Sleep refused to come, no matter how many times I turned on the mattress or buried my face into the pillow. My mind wasn’t replaying about one person, my mother.
Tomorrow, I’d see her again. After everything, after a long time of pain and distance and words we never said. The thought alone made my stomach twist. I wanted it—God, I wanted it so badly....but the fear of what she might say, or not say at all, kept me wide‑awake.
Finally, with a frustrated sigh, I slid out of bed. The room was dark and silent, and the hallway just as empty. I headed downstairs for some water, hoping it would settle the anxious churning inside me.
But halfway across the foyer, I heard Ryan's voice.
A warm light glowed from his office, spilling faintly into the hallway. I poked my head inside a
