The house woke in order.
Franz was already downstairs when he heard a sound from the hallway above. He had finished checking his email and was pouring coffee when the twins' door opened.
Lily came down first. Hair messy from sleep. School uniform half-buttoned. She took out her chair but didn't sit right away. Instead, she looked over at the kitchen counter.
"Is Auntie working today?" she asked before sitting.
"Yes. Board call at nine."
Lily nodded as if that answered everything.
Leo followed several minutes later. He paused at the top of the stairs, looking down into the living room. His gaze didn't move toward Arianne's door. Franz noticed—the boy no longer checked where she was. He already knew she'd returned.
After a moment, Leo came down and took the seat beside Franz quietly.
Arianne entered the kitchen dressed for the office, tablet in hand. She set the device on the counter, poured herself a glass of water, and took a sip before speaking.
