As we sat down to the breakfast table, the clinking of cutlery and soft murmurs of conversation filled the room. The warmth of family surrounded us, but my mind kept drifting back to my conversation with Irene. The revelation about my grandparents gnawed at me, casting a shadow over the bright morning.
Raven noticed my distraction and gently squeezed my hand under the table. "Are you okay?" she whispered, her dark eyes filled with concern.
I forced a smile and nodded. "I'm fine," I lied, not wanting to dampen the mood. "Just thinking about what Mom said."
Raven's gaze softened. "We'll figure it out together," she reassured me, her voice a soothing balm to my restless thoughts.
After breakfast, we helped clean up, the morning sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows, casting a golden glow over the room. The simple domesticity of it all was comforting, a brief respite from the turmoil in my mind.
