I honestly didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry at Mom’s reaction to Terrence’s joke.

In the middle of all the fear and tension surrounding us, he had somehow managed to lighten the atmosphere, as if we weren’t currently dealing with a dangerous situation that could put any of us at risk. It was almost ridiculous how effortlessly he did it.

I watched as some of the tension slowly left Mom’s face. The faint smile that appeared on her lips wasn’t much, and it only lasted for a ...