The morning started quietly enough.
Troy was already in the kitchen when Alex came down. Coffee was made. He didn’t ask where Alex had slept in his head or whether he’d dreamed about someone else. He only nodded at the second mug on the counter and said, “There’s food if you want it.”
Alex took the coffee. “Thanks.”
They stood on opposite sides of the kitchen in a silence that almost passed for normal. Bridget moved through once, kissed the air near both of them in a distracted way, and left for an appointment. When the front door closed, the house settled into the two of them again.
Troy spoke first. “I have calls until early afternoon. I’ll be in the study. You’re free to do what you want.”
The words were careful. Alex heard the effort in them. He also heard the strain underneath—th
