Gwen stood in the kitchen longer than she realized, the note still in her hand. She called Elizabeth, twice. Straight to voicemail. A third time, just to be sure. Same result. She stared at the fridge, heart pounding, unsure what had just happened—or why it felt so wrong.
She debated texting but hesitated. What would she even say? She didn’t want to seem needy. Elizabeth was an adult. She had every right to leave if she wanted. Still, the silence sat heavy on Gwen’s chest. She put the phone down and quietly went back to bed.