Meanwhile, after that second of quickly accessing their condition, she took a deep breath and crossed the room in quick steps and pulled her daughter into a fierce, tight embrace.
"Mia."
"I'm okay, Mom. I'm okay."
"The news. I saw the news." Edith's voice was uneven now, the composure cracking around the edges. "I just saw the news about Velvet Pulse, the robbery, the shooting. I, I don't know if you were inside when it happened, but I tried calling and the line was busy, I tried again and it went through to voicemail..."
"The signal in the club was terrible." Mia hugged her mother back tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"You were there. You were in there. When it happened."
"We were inside, yes."
Edith pulled back slightly to look at her daughter's face. Then her gaze shifted, slowly, carrying a quiet weight, to Stan.
"Tell me what happened."
The three of them moved into the living room.
Stan sat on the long couch. Mia settled beside him.
