Emma's eyes were glued to the screen, her pupils shrinking as if the world around her had exploded. Her breath caught in her chest as she watched the scene unfolding before her: Anna, sitting on a long couch, holding Panny tightly in her arms. Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her entire body stiffened, every cell screaming in horror at the terrible truth that had just been revealed.
On the screen, Anna gently stroked Panny's hair, and next to them sat the principal, her face calm. The scene looked cozy, but inside Emma, a storm of shock and disbelief was raging.
"Are you doing well, Panny?" Anna asked the boy tenderly. "Is everything okay here? I promise I'll come to visit you more often."
Mother? The word echoed in Emma's mind like a never-ending bell, ringing so loudly it suffocated her. Panny was Anna's son?
She stared at the screen, hoping she had misheard. But Panny's innocent, sweet voice shattered that hope.