as if the entire world had paused, waiting to exhale.
“Good afternoon,” the man said with a voice steady and gentle yet imbued with authority. “My name is Daniel Carter. I’m an attorney representing Hazel Matthews.”
A flicker of confusion crossed my dad’s face. His eyes darted from me to Daniel, to the people bustling around us, then back to Daniel. “What is this about?” he asked, trying to sound casual, but his voice had that slight edge of defensiveness he always had when cornered.
