The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
---
No one moved at first.
---
Then—
Salomi picked it up.
Slowly.
Absentmindedly.
---
She hadn't even looked at the caller ID.
---
"Hello—"
---
"You think you've won?"
---
The voice came sharp.
Venomous.
---
Mrs. Matilda.
---
"You've turned my children against me!" she spat. "You've poisoned them—just like you poisoned everything in that house!"
---
Salomi froze.
---
She hadn't even said a word yet.
---
Her lips parted slightly.
But nothing came out.
---
Across from her—
Ruby watched.
---
Something about Salomi's face—
The stillness.
The quiet way she absorbed it—
---
Made her chest tighten.
---
Without thinking—
She reached forward.
Snatched the phone.
---
Her eyes dropped to the screen.
---
And the name there—
Made her expression darken.
---
She placed it on speaker.
---
And listened.
---
Really listened.
---
"…you think acting like a saint will fix anything?" Mrs. Matilda continued. "You ruined my life the moment you—"
---
"Stop."
---
The word came sharp.
---
Sofie stood up.
Walked forward.
Took the phone.
---
Her hands trembled.
But her voice didn't.
---
"Don't you ever call this line again."
---
Silence.
---
Heavy.
---
"Today," Sofie continued, her voice breaking but firm, "you cease to be my mother."
---
Ruby's breath caught.
---
Christian looked up.
---
"Because no one—no one—deserves to be spoken to like that."
---
Her eyes flicked to Salomi.
---
Softened.
---
"Salomi is more of a mother than you'll ever be…"
---
Her voice faltered.
---
"…and she's just… a child."
---
---
That was it.
---
That was the moment.
---
It hit all of them.
---
At once.
---
She was younger.
---
And yet—
She had carried everything.
---
For all of them.
---
---
"Don't ever call again."
---
The line went dead.
---
On the other end—
Mrs. Matilda said nothing.
---
For the first time—
No anger.
No bitterness.
---
Just…
Emptiness.
---
---
They didn't speak.
---
Not on the way back.
---
Not in the car.
Not on the street.
---
Nothing.
---
Just silence.
---
But it wasn't the same silence as before.
---
This one was heavy.
Fragile.
---
Every small sound—
---
A cough.
A breath.
A shift—
---
Made them tense.
---
Made them look at her.
---
Like she might disappear if they didn't.
---
---
Ruby held one of her hands.
Sofie held the other.
---
Christian walked behind them.
Close.
---
Like he could catch her if she fell.
---
Like he wouldn't let her go again.
---
---
And Salomi—
---
Felt it.
---
The closeness.
The care.
---
Strange.
Unfamiliar.
---
But…
Calm.
---
---
The next day—
Everything changed.
---
"She's not going anywhere."
---
Sofie sat in front of the door.
Arms crossed.
Determined.
---
"You're not going to work," Ruby added, not even looking up from her phone.
---
Tabs open.
Dozens.
---
Medical sites.
Forums.
Research.
---
Anything.
Everything.
---
"There has to be something," she whispered. "There has to be…"
---
Her voice trembled.
But she didn't stop.
---
---
Christian left.
---
Not to escape.
---
To confront.
---
---
He found Mr. Albert sober.
For once.
---
And he didn't hold back.
---
"You failed us."
---
The words landed hard.
---
"You failed her."
---
Everything poured out.
Years of anger.
Neglect.
Pain.
---
"You couldn't even own up to your responsibilities!" Christian continued, his voice shaking. "You broke this family—and then watched it fall apart!"
---
His chest heaved.
---
"You're the reason mom left the way she did! The reason she turned us into people who could hurt someone like that!"
---
His voice cracked.
---
"For once—be a father!"
---
Silence.
---
Heavy.
---
And then—
---
Christian said it.
---
"She's dying."
---
The words felt unreal.
---
Even to him.
---
"Are you happy now?" he asked bitterly. "You finally get what you wanted, right? You don't have to deal with her anymore."
---
His eyes burned.
---
"I will never forgive you."
A pause.
---
"…and I will never forgive myself."
---
He turned.
---
Walked away—
Before the tears fell.
---
---
Behind him—
Mr. Albert stood frozen.
---
The words echoed.
---
She's dying.
---
Everything he had done—
Everything he hadn't done—
---
Crashed into him all at once.
---
His knees gave out.
---
And for the first time—
---
He cried.
---
Not quietly.
Not controlled.
---
He wept.
---
Like a child who had lost something he could never get back.
---
Because that was the truth.
---
He already had.
---
---
Back at home—
They stayed close.
---
Too close.
---
Like distance itself had become dangerous.
---
Ruby still searched.
Sofie still guarded.
Christian still carried the weight of what he had done.
---
And Salomi—
---
Watched them.
---
Quietly.
---
With that same soft smile.
---
But now—
It was different.
---
Because this time—
---
They were looking back.
---