Synopsis

A ripple of disbelief crossed her face as Joyce spoke, the words hanging in the air like an impossible melody. The news, delivered with a casualness that belied its profound implications, settled upon her like a strange and heavy cloak. Victoria. The name echoed in the sudden silence, a discordant note in the familiar harmony of their lives. A wave of something akin to astonishment washed over her, leaving her momentarily adrift in a sea of unexpectedness.