Chapter 255 Too Late

• TESSA
• “Mommy will call you later, okay?” I murmured into the phone, and Calla’s small, disappointed noise was the last thing I heard. I ended the call abruptly, an apology lodged in my throat that never made its way out. I set the phone down, hands trembling slightly. The moment the screen went black, I felt the weight of their gazes pressing in once again.
• I absently poked a piece of bread, but it lodged in my throat, and I abruptly choked on a mouthful of water. In an instant, Rowan’s hand was there, appearing without a second thought, patting my back.