#10: A Cold Embrace
When Stacy and Lauren reached him, they wrapped Jamie in a hug, but it didn’t feel like the reunion he’d imagined for months. The warmth he expected wasn’t there. It felt stiff, uneasy, as if something stood between them. He clung to his daughter, but his eyes stayed on Stacy.
Trying to sound casual, Jamie asked who had driven them. Stacy glanced away, her voice low as she muttered about a neighbor giving them a ride. Jamie’s gut tightened—her evasive tone only confirmed what he already feared: something was wrong.