The hospital was buzzing when Cyrus arrived, the waiting room overflowing with relatives. The atmosphere was thick with tension, as somber as a funeral.

Aunts, uncles, and cousins crowded the space, all of them looking as if they were mourning.

Patricia and Phyliss Sinclair, both wiping their red eyes, looked like they might drown in their own tears.

When Cyrus walked in, every eye turned to him. Patricia quickly dabbed at her eyes, trying to pull herself together. "Cyrus, ...