The house felt different the next morning. Not colder. Not hostile. Just quieter. As though something invisible had cracked during the night, both Lynda and Lukas were careful not to step on the broken edges. Lynda woke up early before the sun had properly risen. Lukas was already awake, sitting at the edge of their bed, his back turned toward her. He was not scrolling his phone, nor getting ready for work. He just sat there, motionless and lost in thought

She watched him for a minute, her ...