Leo had placed the calendar on the low table the afternoon before. He'd positioned it so both he and Lily could see the page without moving their chairs.
The red circle was hard to miss. Underneath it, in Lily's uneven handwriting: Phase Two.
Leo sat cross-legged on the carpet, tablet against his knees. Every few seconds he glanced between the screen and the calendar, reviewing details like an operation that required careful timing.
Across from him, Lily leaned forward with her elbows on the table.
For two children who had spent most of the afternoon whispering excitedly about their plan, the living room had grown unusually quiet.
Sam sat on the sofa, one leg folded beneath her, a magazine open in her lap. She hadn't turned a page in five minutes. Her attention was fixed on the twins.
From where she sat she could see Leo occasionally typing short messages on the tablet before showing the screen to Lily, who would nod thoughtfully before looking back at the calendar.
