Lucas pulled the phone away from his ear, muting it with a sharp press of his thumb.
"Mom," he said, his voice low, trying to keep calm. "What are you doing?"
Maya tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she giggled softly.
"Relax, Lucas. This will be fun, trust me."
Lucas froze for a moment, his sharp breath hitching in his throat. He glanced at Maya, who still leaned into him, her fingers tracing slow, deliberate circles on his arm. Her mischievous smile was impossible to ignore, but he forced himself to refocus, and unmuting the phone call.
The phone still pressed to his ear, Lucas cleared his throat and spoke, though his voice wavered slightly.
"Lena… yeah, I'm here. What's going on?"
