Katherine's steps were soft, but the tension in her chest was almost unbearable as she walked into the room. The sound of her heels hitting the floor felt like a thunderclap in the silence of Leonard's apartment, each step heavier than the last. She had heard it all, the confession, the weight of Leonard's words, the delicate balance he was trying to maintain with Nathan and Maya. She hadn't expected to come home from work to this. Not today.
The door clicked shut behind her as she entered the room, and her eyes instinctively found Leonard, sitting by the bed. The children were curled together, asleep for now, their feverish bodies still and peaceful in the midst of the storm of emotions that had been brewing for days.
