(Lena)
By the time I got back to the house, it was already evening.
I didn’t slow when I stepped inside. I was tired in a way that didn’t come from work, the kind that sat deeper and didn’t shift no matter how much I tried to ignore it. All I wanted was to go upstairs, close the door, and stop thinking for a few hours.
I didn’t make it that far.
Jade was waiting.
She stood in the living room like she had been there for a while, not pacing, not restless, just still in a way that made it clear this wasn’t accidental. The woman I had seen earlier in the kitchen was beside her, a glass of water in her hand like she had just finished pouring it. They both looked up the second I walked in.
Jade stopped her with a small movement before stepping forward.
She didn’t rush. She didn’t hesitate
