Brandon POV

My phone vibrates on my desk, my mom’s face smiling at me like a cameo portrait inside a precious locket. She’s wearing her favorite pearls in the image, her hair swept back Audrey-Hepburn style, her smile revealing perfect white teeth. I can almost imagine her hissing under her breath, “Answer the damn phone, Brandon,” while the photographer catches her still sharp cheekbones in exactly the right light.