They left the estate on a Sunday.
Not dramatically. No tearful goodbyes or sweeping declarations. Just bags in the car and Eleanor at the gate the way she'd been when they arrived — except this time she held Fina's face in both hands for a moment and looked at her with those seventy-eight years of attention and said —
"Come back."
Not an invitation. A direction.
"Yes," Fina said.
Eleanor released her. Patted her cheek once. Looked at Ethan over her shoulder with the expression of a woman who had gotten exactly what she wanted and intended to act surprised about it.
"Drive carefully," she said.
Lucas appeared from nowhere to hug Fina with the enthusiasm of someone who had decided she was family and wasn't asking anyone's permission about it. He held on approximately four seconds long
