Her head rang.
‘Paid the price?’
She didn’t have the strength to ask what that meant. Darkness closed in again.
When she woke up, her phone was ringing nonstop. White walls. The sharp smell of disinfectant. A hospital room.
She fumbled for the phone and answered, barely conscious.
“Hello, is this Kenzie?” a woman asked professionally. “We’re calling from the funeral home. Ma’am, your mother, Miss Beth, passed away two days ago. We need to confirm cremation arrangements.”
Her fingers went numb. The phone nearly slipped in her grip.
“W-What?” she whispered. “T-That’s impossible. My mom was fine.”
The woman explained, “She suffered a cerebral infarction caused by severe blood loss after donating blood. We’ve been trying to contact you.”
Kenzie’s mind went completely blank.
Beth wasn’t just her foster mother; she was her only mother.
Kenzie dropped the phone, tore the IV from her arm, and ran barefoot out of the room.
She needed answers.
The moment she staggered into the hallway, she slammed straight into Colton.
Kinsey was still cradled in his arms.
That was when something inside Kenzie finally broke.