I returned home later than planned, but not late enough to invite questions.

That margin mattered more than most people understood. Matthew tolerated late nights when they were anticipated. He tolerated unpredictability only when it served him. Tonight, I had stayed precisely within the boundaries I had drawn earlier that afternoon, the ones he had acknowledged with a distracted nod and a reminder to be careful.

The gates opened smoothly as the car eased onto the driveway, the tires whispering ...