I couldn't stop hearing Julia's voice in my head.
Three weeks. You've known him three weeks.
Playing house.
Temporary. Fantasy.
The words followed me through the day like ghosts. When I made breakfast, I burned the eggs because I was too distracted. When Lily asked me to play dolls, I agreed but couldn't focus on the elaborate story she was creating. When Ethan touched my hand across the lunch table, I flinched without meaning to.
He noticed. Of course he noticed.
"You okay?" he asked quietly while Lily was upstairs supposedly napping but probably reading under her covers with a flashlight.
"Fine."
"Ava."
"I said I'm fine." The words came out sharper than I meant. "Sorry. I'm just tired."
He studied me for a long moment, his eyes searching my face for something I wasn't ready to
