It's a battle both us

Blenda's pov

The screen of my phone was in front of me, displaying the missed calls from my fiance and daughter. Who should I call first? An instinctual question popped into my mind. Definitely my daughter. She must be extremely worried and eager to hear from me. I immediately dialed Ava's phone number and held it to my right ear, hoping she would answer. My heart was racing.

Ava picked up the call quickly, becoming the first to speak.

"Mum... where are you?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. What should I say? I rapidly searched for an answer and replied,

"I'm at home," trying to calm any potential panic. I thought that response would be sufficient, and she might ask why I hadn't been answering her calls. The conversation would then proceed smoothly. However, her reply surprised me.

"Mum, I vividly remember when I was growing up, you told me never to lie to the people who love me. Mum," she lowered her voice, "I'm at your house now, where are you?"

I couldn't utte