***The Smile***

Dinner was silent except for the sound of forks against plates.

Natalie cut her chicken into precise pieces. Small bites. Perfect portions. The way she'd been taught in finishing school years ago.

Across the table, Robert pushed food around his plate. Not eating. Just moving things from one side to the other like a child avoiding vegetables.

Alex sat between them. The only one actually eating. The only one who didn't seem to notice the tension thick ...