The sun had barely risen, but the house was already quiet, with only the distant hum of the refrigerator breaking the stillness. Lauren sat at the kitchen table, sipping her coffee, her eyes drifting to the clock.
Sophie was still asleep, which was unusual for her, but Lauren had learned not to question it. She liked when things were calm, even if the silence felt a little too heavy sometimes.
But today… it felt different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something wasn’t right. She glanced down the hall toward Larry’s room, noticing that the door was still closed.
He usually came out by now—he was always up early, getting ready for practice or cleaning up after Sophie’s early morning messes.
Lauren pushed herself up from the table and padded quietly down the hall, her fe
