Sophia's POV
Home felt different when we got back.
Not smaller. Just quieter in a new way, the estate carrying the hush of a place that had been empty for two weeks and was still stretching itself awake.
Damien set our bags down in the entrance hall and looked around slowly.
"It feels strange," he said. "Being back."
"Good strange," I said.
"Yes," he said. "Just strange."
The others came in behind us with their own luggage. Within an hour the estate had returned to its usual noise. Remy opened the fridge, sighed loudly, and said "there's nothing in here," even though nobody had expected there to be. Elijah sat at the kitchen table and opened his laptop before he'd even taken his coat off. Zane's plant sat exactly where he'd left it, slightly bigger, watered by the housekeeper on Mei
