459: I COULDN'T ACTUALLY RESOLVE THIS.

ARIEL'S POV "Mom, what happened to your hand?" Janice's concerned voice broke through the haze of my thoughts, pulling me back to the present moment. "Oh, it's nothing, sweetheart," I replied, forcing a reassuring smile. "Just a small cut, that's all." Janice's brow furrowed in worry, but she seemed to accept my explanation for the time being. "Are you sure you're okay, Mom?" "Yes, I'm fine," I reassured her, though the words felt hollow even to my own ears. "Can you drive us to school today?" Janice asked, her eyes pleading with me. I hesitated for a moment; my mind was still clouded with uncertainty, but I couldn't deny my daughter's request. "Of course, honey. Let me just grab my keys." As I retrieved my keys from the hook by the door, Randy approached me with a thick textbook. "Can you help me with some questions from this book?" he asked, his expression eager. I glanced at the book, recognizing it as one of Randy's school textbooks. "Sure, Randy. Let me take a look." To f