WITH ALEX AT THE SCHOOL, Paul is a bit at a loss of what to do. The quiet here feels less like the calm and peace of his hometown of Marion and more like a thing he’s trapped in. Paul is, however, willing to chalk that up to his own discomfort rather than Alex’s repeated assertions that this place is bad news.
He asks Laura if there’s anything he can do to help around the house, but she turns him down. If there’s actually anything that needs doing, Paul gets the distinct impression that Laura is used to, and prefers, dealing with it herself.
He ends up at the battered table kitchen table by the window that looks out over the yard. He pokes at notes from Olivia on his laptop while keeping an eye on Claudia as she plays with a set of old wooden blocks Laura pulled out from somewhere. After
