Chapter 43

• Nicole's silence was met with a pause on Gage's end, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. She was happy for Gage, but a small part of her felt a twinge of...something. She pushed the feeling aside, focusing on Gage's enthusiasm.
• "That's great, Gage!" she said finally, injecting a note of excitement into her voice. "What's her name?"
• But before Gage could respond, his phone suddenly went dead. Nicole's eyes dropped to her screen, and she saw that the call had been disconnected. She sighed, feeling a bit frustrated that their conversation had been cut short.