I woke earlier than I typically would without the help of an alarm. I didn’t want to wake Wes by tossing and turning, so I slipped quietly out of bed. I’d showered last night, so I breezed through my morning routine, and in the kitchen, I tried to be as noiseless as possible as I prepared a big weekend breakfast.
The door to Greg’s room, currently housing Mom and Dad, snicked open, then closed, followed by muted sounds from the bathroom. I figured it was Mom, because she was an early riser—both my parents were—and she’d never be able to relax knowing that cooking was happening without her.
So I startled when Dad’s voice came from behind me. “Good morning.”
I picked up on the strained edge to his voice. My shoulders tensed. Was that elephant about to be swept out of the room, or was he g
