Two days into Jess and Roman's visit, everything had settled into an easy rhythm.
The kind of rhythm Lori loved.
Slow mornings.
Coffee on the porch.
Roman running around the yard with endless energy.
Jess sitting nearby, laughing at her son while pretending she wasn't secretly enjoying watching him turn every corner of the house into an adventure.
It felt normal.
It felt like home.
Which was exactly why none of them expected the afternoon to suddenly shift.
Lunch had been finished not long before.
Roman was outside on the porch swing, happily kicking his feet back and forth while watching the birds in the yard.
Lori was in the kitchen, rinsing dishes and wiping down the counters while humming softly to herself.
Jess had been gathering a few things from the living room, mostly picking up after Roman.
Or at least trying to.
Because with a six-year-old, "cleaning up" was usually more like moving toys from one place to another.
She turned around with a small basket in her hands—
And didn't see the toy truck sitting right behind her.
Her foot caught it.
Everything happened quickly.
A sharp stumble.
A desperate attempt to catch herself.
Then—
The floor.
Jess landed hard, more startled than anything at first.
She sat there for a moment, blinking.
"Ouch..."
She looked down at her ankle.
It hurt.
But not enough yet for panic.
Not until she tried to move.
Jess slowly reached for the couch, grabbing onto the cushion as she pushed herself up.
And the second her foot touched the ground—
Pain shot through her ankle.
A sharp, sudden wave that made her entire body freeze.
A small scream escaped before she could stop it.
Not loud.
Not enough for Roman outside to hear.
But enough.
Enough for Lori.
The dishes in Lori's hands stopped moving.
Her head snapped up.
"Jess?"
She immediately dried her hands and hurried out of the kitchen.
And the second she stepped into the living room, her heart dropped.
Jess was sitting back down on the floor, tears slipping down her cheeks, one hand gripping her ankle.
"Oh, sweetheart."
Lori was beside her instantly.
She dropped down carefully.
