Adoption

Lyra didn't give the adoption a second thought; it barely made a dent in her focus.

With just two days left before the beginning of her sophomore year, she had already tasked Debbie with scheduling an interview.

Lyra was all set to slide into a peaceful school year.

Well, that was the plan. But you know how life is—trouble always finds a way to crash the party.

Just before noon, the day before the new semester started, Lyra's phone buzzed. It was Cohen, and from the tone in his voice, he wasn't calling to chat about weekend plans. "Hey, has Phelixes shown up at your place?"

Despite the urgency dripping from his words, Lyra remained as unbothered as ever. "No," she answered, her tone cold and distant.

Before Cohen could explain further, she cut in, sharper this time. "If he's gone missing, what's that got to do with me?"

Without waiting for his response, she hung up.