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--Alyssa--

We were watching a movie, a popular request from Grandma, but my mind kept wandering back to Mom and what could have possibly happened. I couldn't shake the worry that gnawed at the edges of my thoughts, despite trying to focus on the screen in front of me. Something didn’t feel right, and I could tell that both Grandma and I were distracted.

“There’s a knock, Grandma,” I said softly, even though it had been faint. My ears had picked it up nonetheless. Grandma didn't seem to notice at first, but then came another knock, louder this time, clear enough to be undeniable.

“I’ll check it,” she said, motioning for me to stay seated. She rose slowly from her chair and made her way to the door, her steps deliberate, as if she, too, felt a shift in the air.

A moment later, I heard her say, “Elizabeth.”

The sound of that name startled me to my feet before my brain could even register what was happening. Mom. She was here. “Mom?” I called out, my voice filled with both relief and conf