Zilia was flipping through a baby magazine when a specific memory surfaced.
'June, you'll be the first to know when I'm pregnant. We're friends, after all.'
A knot of guilt tightened in her chest. It felt like a betrayal of the promise she had made to Juniper back in the palace.
Driven by a sudden, restless urge, she walked over to the side table near the recliner and picked up her phone. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Juniper's name and pressed dial.
Instead of a ring, an automated voice filled the line: "The number you have dialed does not exist."
Zilia lowered the phone slowly, biting her lower lip as the silence of the room closed in on her.
"What's bothering you?" Cassio asked, entering the room. He carried a tray with a bowl of nutrient-dense salad, but he stopped short when he saw the look on her face.
"Cassio," she said, turning toward him as he set the tray down on the table.
"Let's go see Juniper," she stated firmly.
