The kitchen island was crowded that evening. Lila sat on one of the stools, laughing at something Jake said while she chopped vegetables. Sarah leaned against Ethan’s side, her arm looped casually around his waist as she scrolled through her phone. Jake stood at the stove stirring pasta sauce, and Mia leaned on the opposite counter, sipping water and watching the scene with a calm smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Everything looked perfectly normal — five friends hanging out in the house while the parents were away. But for Ethan, the normalcy felt like a lie.
Sarah pressed a quick kiss to his shoulder. “You’re quiet. Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Ethan answered, one-word reply. He kept his eyes on the cutting board, chopping onions with more focus than necessary.
Ethan kept his gaze on hi
