In Her Shadow

Valerie’s POV

The entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath in response to the girls calling me Mom, but most of the tension seemed to exude from behind me, where my parents and Bryce were exiting the vehicle.

“Girls!” Mom called, rushing forward. She seemed confident around them, cool, like she had seen them before. Not just that, but that she also had a relationship with the girls. A familiarit