When the door opened a few hours later and I recognized the sound of my mother's familiar shuffle of steps followed by the quicker patter of Cam's sneakers, I stood up from the couch, prepared to joke with them about how long errands were lasting these days.

"Did you two get lost in the store again?" I shouted, trying to keep my tone light.

No response.

I frowned, rounding the corner, looking for at least a smile from Mum or Cam's duty-free breathless rundown of some school drama, ...