January 8th
It was a deceptively clear day, the sky bright and untroubled. Whitney Forbes received the news from her parents in a stark, hurried phone call that left her reeling.
Raphael Forbes had died.
No details, no explanations—just the blunt fact that hit like a physical blow.
She quickly wrapped up a meeting she was in the middle of, her mind already miles away, and slid into the back seat of the family car that pulled up, joining her parents in stunned silence.
Sitting there with her parents, the engine humming softly as we pulled away, she felt this strange numbness settle in. Then, out of nowhere, she thought about Angela. It was only a couple of weeks ago that she'd been so excited, buzzing with hope because her brother had finally woken up after all those years. And now this...
