Catherine lifted her phone to her eyes. "Hold on a sec, Mira. Grandma needs to find a seat."


    As she said this, she looked around, searching for a ce to sit while walking.


    Mirabe hummed softly, ncing at the background behind Catherine. "Are you at the riverside park?"


    "Yep, just out picking up a few things." There was a breeze on Catherine''s end, causing her voice toe through with a rustling sound, and the screen shook a bit-clearly, she was walking briskly.


    Mirabe pressed her fingers to her temple and advised, "No rush, Grandma. Take it easy."


    Catherine acknowledged the advice but didn''t slow her pace. After a while, she finally found a park bench and, sitting down with a heavy breath, she said, "Getting old, a short walk tires me out."


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow. "You seem pretty spry to me."


    Catherine grinned. "Well, with my granddaughter''s magic potions, how could I not be?"


    "Oh, look at you, smooth talker," Mirabe teased, flicking her bangs to the side to reveal her forehead.


    Watching her granddaughter on the phone''s screen, Catherine''s eyes grew misty. It had only been a few months since they''d parted, yet it felt so long. And no matter how often they video chatted, it never seemed enough.


    After a quiet couple of minutes, Catherine broke the silence. "My Mira''s turned into such a beautiful youngdy."


    "So, what, I wasn''t pretty before?" Mirabe replied with a touch of vanity.


    Catherine was momentarily speechless.


    Leo, who had been listening silently, rolled his eyes at his sister. Her thick skin spared no one, not even the elderly.


    Then Mirabe remembered her brother and switched the camera to the rear- facing one, pointing it at him. "Grandma, this is my brother Leo. Isn''t he a looker too?"


    Caught off guard, Leo could only muster a nk expression.


    Faced with the woman who had helped raise his sister, Leo quickly straightened up and greeted her, "Hello, Grandma. I''m Leo, Mira''s brother."


    Catherine saw Leo''s face, which bore a striking resemnce to Mirabe''s, and instinctively responded to her granddaughter''s remark, "He sure is handsome."


    Leo''s smile wavered upon hearing this.


    After exchanging a few words with Leo, Mirabe switched the camera back to herself. The screen now showed only the grandmother and granddaughter.


    Mirabe cracked the car window a bit, letting in the cool breeze. She pulled her coat around her and, after exchanging a few pleasantries, noticed a thoughtful look on Catherine''s face. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Is there something you want to talk about?"


    Catherine nced off-screen before returning her gaze to the camera. "No, just missing you and wanted to give you a call."


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow, cutting right to the chase. "You think I can''t tell there''s more?"


    Catherine touched her nose, recalling the call from Mandy earlier that day, and shook her head. "No, really, it''s nothing."


    Considering the text she received from Aiden at noon, Mirabe went straight to the point. "Did the Gilberts say something to you again? Or did they ask you to pass a message to me?"


    Catherine always knew her granddaughter was sharp; nothing ever got past her. After a moment''s thought, she decided toe clean.


    Her daughter had called today, not saying much, just mentioning that she wanted to mend fences with her foster daughter and was hoping for her to mediate.


    Catherine wouldn''t have called if it was just about smoothing things over; it was precisely because she knew her daughter''s temper that she was worried.