Cassidy was sketching quietly in her workspace when her phone buzzed. She glanced over—Georgia.
She picked it up. "Hey."
Georgia got straight to the point. "Zeke called."
Cassidy paused, already feeling uneasy. "What did he say?"
"He wanted to make sure you knew about Elise's birthday," Georgia said. "It's this Saturday, 4 PM, at Elise's house in the countryside. Just close family stuff. He sent me the location in case you… you know, decide to go."
Cassidy didn't say anything right away. Her fingers tightened a little around her stylus.
Georgia waited a beat. "Have you thought about it? Are you going?"
Cass let out a quiet sigh. "Honestly? I don't think I will."
"Why not?"
Cass rubbed her temple, staring blankly at her sketch. "It's a family thing, and I'm not part of that family anymore. I don't think I can sit there, smiling and pretending like nothing ever happened. I'm just... not ready to face all of them."
Georgia softened her voice. "Yeah. I get it."
