The world after the ultrasound was the same, yet fundamentally altered. The sun shone with a different frequency, the air hummed with a new, low-grade purpose. In Liam’s studio, the frantic energy of startup survival now orbited a silent, central sun: the grainy black-and-white image pinned to the corkboard, beside the sketch of the cliff house.
Work was a refuge and a necessity. The Harringtons’ project manager, Gail, was a relentless force, her weekly reports more grueling than any Sterling & Grey review. But every decision—the choice of low-VOC paint, the radius of every rounded corner (no sharp edges), the specification of a state-of-the-art air filtration system—was now filtered through a new, ruthless lens. *Is it safe? Is it healthy? Is it good for the future occupant?* Thorne & Re
