He smiled and let it drop, but his eyes lingered on me a moment longer than they used to.
Our two kids came thundering down the hallway right then, still in pajamas, arguing about who got the last waffle. I scooped my youngest onto my hip and kissed the top of her head, and for a second the kitchen felt normal again.
Then the front door opened without a knock.
« God, it smells like syrup in here, » Rose said, breezing in, dropping her purse on my clean counter.
She was Daniel’s younger sister, and she treated our house like a hotel lobby.
« That house isn’t a party venue. »
« Good morning to you too, Rose. »
She reached across the table, took a strawberry off my daughter’s plate without asking, and left the stem on the counter.
« Listen, I need a favor. My birthday’s coming up and I want to do something special. The lake house would be perfect. Just one night. »
« No. »
