The phone call Monday night felt different.
Daniel dialed at the usual time, right when Emma was brushing her teeth and wriggling into pajamas. Normally she would run to the phone, voice bubbling with excitement. Tonight she moved slower, dragging her blanket behind her as if she were preparing for disappointment.
“Hi, Daddy!” she said brightly when Daniel’s voice came through the speaker. Too brightly. Even Kassie could hear the effort in it, the way her little girl tried to mask the unease she didn’t have words for yet.
Kassie sat on the couch, listening as Emma told him about her day. She described the glitter glue she’d used on her art project, how she had run the fastest at recess, how her teacher had given her a sticker for helping a classmate. But the rhythm was off. Emma usually
