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As Brooke walked past Richard with a tray of drinks, she rested her hand on the back of his chair. Richard reached up without looking and briefly covered her hand with his before taking his glass.
Neither of them reacted. Neither did anyone else.
I barely noticed it myself.
Families collect little habits over the years.
I told myself that was just another one.
Neither of them reacted.
That night, I lay in the dark listening to the house settle, to Daniel brushing his teeth, and to the faint buzz of his phone on the bathroom counter. Daniel came in, kissed my forehead, and fell asleep within minutes.
Then my phone lit up on the nightstand. Brooke’s name glowed across the screen.
I picked it up, and I opened the message.
