"Hello…" Elena's voice rang out — calm, familiar, and painfully normal.
"Elena, is that you?" Valerie's voice shook despite how hard she tried to sound steady.
"Yeah, what's up? Why are you acting weird?" Elena asked lightly, with the faint sound of a grocery cart rolling in the background. "I missed your call. My phone was missing for a while and suddenly turned up."
Dominic's head snapped up at that, eyes narrowing as he listened beside her. Valerie exchanged a worried glance with him before forcing a smile into her tone.
"I'm glad you found it. Where are you right now?"
"I'm at the grocery store," Elena replied casually.
"Stay right there," Valerie said sharply, trying not to sound desperate. "We'll come pick you up."
"What's wrong?" Elena asked slowly.
"Nothing to worry about," Valerie replied quickly, voice tight.
Elena scoffed softly, her tone teasing but edged with suspicion. "This better not be your trick to ask for forgiveness, Val."
