I dished my food, ate at my own pace, and refused to let my eyes drift toward her side.
The silence that hung in the room wasn’t peace.... it was the kind of silence that happens when two people decide not to explode.
And at that moment, I decided I wasn’t going to give Ava the satisfaction of a reaction again.
Let her talk. Let her poke. Let her perform.
I was done feeding her drama.
Halfway through rinsing my plate, her voice floated lazily from the couch, cutting through the soft hum of the running tap.
“Hey,” she said, casual but deliberate, like she knew exactly when to interrupt peace.
“Do you guys have cereal?”
I didn’t even glance back.
“Yeah,” I said, trying to keep my tone flat. “We’ve got Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches, and Special K.”
There was a pause....the kind tha
