Chapter 24
NORA
Daniel started asking questions on a Tuesday, casual at first, the kind of thing I could have brushed off if I hadn't already learned to listen for the shape underneath his voice instead of just the words themselves.
"You were gone a long time yesterday," he said over breakfast, not looking up from his coffee, his tone light, easy. "The dentist, right? Thought that only took an hour."
"There was a wait," I said, buttering my toast, keeping my hands steady. "They were behind schedule."
"Mm." He nodded, sipped his coffee, let it go.
Except he didn't really let it go. Two days later he asked again, different angle, same careful casualness. "You've been busy lately. Errands, appointments. Feels like you're out of the house more than you used to be."
"I'm settling into ma
