COLLIDING INTEREST

Emma was not up for any of this, but she wanted to do her best. She was scared. Still, the thought of seeing her family again steadied her. The same fear of how Olivia might treat them if she failed pressed on her chest, and that fear became a strange kind of fuel. She promised herself she would try, no matter how shaky she felt. Olivia’s parents noticed something different in their daughter. Parents always hope the rebellious streak will fade. If she stayed calm like this, they thought, maybe they could finally have conversations they had been trying to have.  Even though they smiled politely, tried to be casual in front of Max and his family, they had hidden their concern behind a calm facade. They had been worried that their daughter’s mood might flip the moment they got home and privacy returned. That fear tugged at them the whole drive. It did not happen though and they are grateful for that. When Emma pulled back from the hug and looked into Laura’s eyes, she forced a smile and g