Stacey's fingers trembled as she opened the laptop to dial Adelaide on the video call app. She had been hesitant to reach out, fearing her friend might be in danger because of her. Her parents had refused to tell anyone but Fredrick and his family about her return… but Stacey didn't think it was fair to keep Adelaide out of the loop too. Adelaide was basically family, and she couldn't imagine how worried she was. Stacey didn't want to disobey her father's instruction, or endanger herself any further, but the need to connect to her best friend, and the desire for some sense of normalcy won out.
She hit dial. After a few seconds, the screen flickered to life, and Adelaide's face appeared, her eyes widening in shock.
"Stacey? Oh my god, is that you?" Adelaide's voice cracked with emotion, her eyes welling up with tears.
Stacey's eyes brimmed with tears too as she smiled weakly. "Hey, Addie. It's me." Her voice trembled, and she felt a lump form in her throat.
