*Lexie’s POV*

"Hey," Natasha greets me hesitantly.

"Hey, Tasha," I reply, my voice shaking slightly. "How have you been?"

"Alright, I guess," she answers, her gaze flicking over my face as if searching for something. "How's your mom? Is she doing better?"

"Much better, thank you," I respond, relief flooding through me at the thought of my mother's improving health. "She's stable now and starting to recover."

"That's great news, Lexie." ...