The Nut Bowl

One would predict the atmosphere of a prison visitation room to be moderately tense.

Especially when the inmate was one's birth mother, and got sentenced to prison for quite a significant time due to horrendous charges such as emotional manipulation, coercion, exploitation, and abuse of power.

Alongside the rest, the father and twin brother. They've been thrown into prison for weeks.

Yet, an ounce of that didn't linger either inhaled. Such calmness wasn't derived from the presence of two female guards stationed at the door, nor the solid glass barrier hindering the inmate from the prisoner.

None of that was the cause of her composure — Francess had nothing to be troubled about when her dear friend, Tessa, was seated by her side.

“Are you… anxious?” Both were settled on the worn out plastic chairs with backs and seats a shade of faded gray and her hand — placed on the counter got covered by a delicate one.

It belonged to Tessa.

Those blue eyes — warm and gentle, crinkled at the