Act Two Getting Close, Pulling Away
Julia didn't bring up the school gate again.
She didn't need to. Some moments didn't need to be discussed afterward they just needed to be allowed to settle, like furniture finding its place in a room. The pancakes had been eaten at Nora's small kitchen table, all three of them, Nora talking enough for everyone while Daniel listened with the focused attention he gave everything and Julia pretended to be interested in her coffee.
It had felt almost normal.
That was the part that stayed with her.
Not the drama of the past two weeks. Not the headlines or the press conferences or Vanessa's carefully aimed words. Just three people at a small table with pancakes going slightly cold and a five year old explaining very seriously why syrup should always g
