I listened.

I had known the apartment as the reason my son was finally nearby.

Now I was learning it as the place where my granddaughters lived.

When we arrived, Julian was putting clean clothes away.

Emma fussed while Chloe slept, and he asked Maya whether it was time for a feed or whether she had just woken early.

Maya answered, then offered me tea.

I accepted without moving through the kitchen as though paying for supplies gave me ownership of its cupboards.