Edward's Point Of View
"Mom. Cynthia," I began, my voice trembling as reality finally settled into my bones. The words felt too large for my mouth, too momentous to speak carelessly. A loud, breathless laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep in my chest, escaping before I could contain it. "We're saved. The company... Higfield Global just signed. We're completely saved."
"What on earth are you talking about, Edward?" Cynthia asked, her voice dropping into that cautious, measured rhythm she reserved for moments when she suspected I was either heading toward a nervous breakdown or about to deliver a terrible joke. Her eyes searched my face with the intensity of someone trying to read a foreign language, before dropping to my hands, which remained locked tightly around her waist. The confusion in her expression was palpable. "Saved? What do you mean saved?"
