I paused at the top of the stairs.
Daniel was still standing below, exactly where he had been when I first saw him. His back was straight, his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on me like he had been waiting for this moment.
From the living room, I could hear my mother laughing loudly. Helen’s voice joined hers, talking about table settings and how many chairs they would need for guests. In the kitchen, plates clinked, water ran, and someone banged a pot lightly against the sink.
Everything sounded normal.
Too normal.
Daniel called my name softly. “Lina.”
I forced myself to start walking down.
Each step felt slow, careful, like I was afraid the stairs might break beneath me. When I reached the bottom, I stopped a little distance from him.
We did not speak at first.
He just look
