*Chris' POV*
The sound of Anne's voice broke the silence, low and careful. I didn't mean to listen, but in this house, quiet stretched thin, every word travelled. From my place by the living room window, near the hallway, I caught it: Audra's voice, faint through the phone. Not loud enough to know the words, not really. Just the sound of her. And the edge threaded through it, sharp enough to cut.
My chest tightened.
The clock on the wall glared back at me: 6:14. The exact kind of detail my brain latched onto when everything else felt like it was sliding apart.
I didn't need to make out her words to understand. I knew that tone. The sound of her breaking was unmistakable.
I turned away.
The air in the hallway felt heavy, too full of things I couldn't face. My hand dragged along the wall as I moved toward the kitchen, each step dull. The window glass was cold under my palm when I leaned close.
