“But Mom says I have to put things back together.”

“She’s right.”

“She usually is.”

Lauren raised an eyebrow at him, and he grinned.

When he finally went upstairs for bed, the house settled into a quiet I had almost forgotten existed.

Lauren rinsed the dishes, and I dried them because standing idle felt wrong.

Our elbows nearly touched when she passed me a plate.

Both of us became still for a moment.