A new year was around the corner, but a new era had already begun in the Evans mansion.
No celebrations or unannounced guests were allowed, laughing out loud was highly frowned upon, and unnecessary conversations meant receiving a look or two of total dismay.
Those spoken and unspoken rules were just the tip of the iceberg.
*Knock, Knock,*
Two soft knocks on Cynthia's door let her know that it was Summer Hosek. She had been expecting her since morning.
"Come in Summer," Cynthia said, slightly sitting up in her bed.
When Summer opened the door, she was greeted with the familiar sight of a pale Cynthia, a shadow of the woman she used to be two months ago before her boy was taken away.
Mrs. Hosek struggled to put a smile on her beautiful face, "Good morning,"
"Is it still morning?" Cynthia asked, looking at the light that seeped through the drawn curtains of her opened window.
