Her mother’s voice cracked as she added, “Seeing Stephanie up there, seeing Liam say those words… it broke something inside me. No parent should watch one child destroy another like that.” She pulled Clara into a trembling embrace, and Clara clung to her as if she were a lifeline. Together, they stepped into the living room, Phoebe closing the door gently behind them.
The house was heavy with silence, broken only by the sound of Clara’s uneven breaths. Her parents sat with her on the couch, their hands wrapping around hers, while Phoebe settled nearby. For a long time, no one spoke. The weight of what had unfolded pressed down on all of them, each lost in their own shock.