Just then, Mrs. Calloway woke.
When she saw Vivi, something uneasy crossed her face before she smoothed it over into warmth that didn't quite fit.
"Vivi. You actually came back."
Vivi saw it. The pretense. And in that moment, something dropped quietly inside her.
This was her mother. Her own mother. And she felt like she was looking at a stranger.
Her throat tightened. She gave a small, neutral nod and said nothing.
Julian stood to one side, watching the two of them in silence. Then, without a word, he slipped out and came back with tea and pastries, setting them carefully within Vivi's reach, his voice barely above a murmur. "Eat something."
"I'm not hungry."
Mrs. Calloway glanced between them, opened her mouth, and seemed to search for the right words.
"Vivi, your brother, he kn
