A summer afternoon at the lake had started like any other: the warm sun bouncing off the water, families laughing, the smell of grilled food drifting through the air. Kids ran barefoot along the dock, splashing each other, chasing frisbees, and shouting over the buzz of boats and jet skis. Jordan, just eleven years old, had been watching her little cousin Laila play near the water’s edge, her attention split between keeping an eye on her and trying to enjoy the rare freedom of summer. It was a day full of sunshine and laughter, a day that should have ended with ice cream and bedtime stories.
