It came out of nowhere, as the most important questions often do. Sophia and Emma were in the kitchen, washing dishes after dinner, the comfortable silence of routine work filling the space between them. The other children were in the living room, arguing about movie choices with the casual intimacy of siblings who had survived too much together.

"Mom?" Sophia said, her voice careful in a way that immediately put Emma on alert.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"If Robert hadn't come for ...