Josh arrived a little after six, dropping his bag by the door with far more precision than JJ had managed, greeting his mother with a kiss on the cheek and a quiet "Smells good" before disappearing upstairs to wash up.
Justina came in twenty minutes after that, earbuds in, phone in hand, offering a small wave in Amara's direction before heading straight up without a word.
"Justina," Amara called after her. "Dinner in twenty."
"Not that hungry," came the reply, already halfway up the stairs. "I'll grab something later."
Amara opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again. She was too tired, and there would be another morning, another door left just slightly ajar, another chance to try again. She'd learned, the hard way, that pressing too hard on Justina only sealed the door faster.
