Ellen sat at the kitchen table, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of her coffee cup. She couldn't forget what Gerald and Aubrey had told her.
How could she not have known about Mason's family death anniversary? How could she have missed something so important in his life? Gerald's comments stung, leaving a bitter feeling in her stomach.
Ellen reached for her phone and hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before dialing Philip's number. It rang twice before he picked up, his voice groggy as though he had just woken up.
"Ellen? Everything okay?"
Ellen cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice steady. "Hey, Philip. I… I wanted to ask you something. It's about Mason." She took a moment before continuing. "Gerald and Aubrey came over this morning. They mentioned something about today being Mason's family's death anniversary. Is that true?"