The dishes were still drying in the rack when I padded into the bedroom. Val was already stretched out on the bed, hair spilling loose across the pillows, her phone glowing faintly in her hands. Duchess had claimed her usual spot curled at the foot of the mattress, tail flicking lazily.
Fresh from the shower, I slid down beside Val, sinking into the mattress like my body had been waiting for this all day. For her.
"So," I said after a moment, turning my head toward her. "Were you able to finish whatever you were doing today?"
Her thumbs paused mid-scroll. Slowly, she looked at me, brow creasing. "Uh?"
"At your dad's office," I clarified, my voice even.
That made her squint, just a fraction, like she was calculating whether she'd missed a step in some game I didn't know I was playing.
I shrugged, casual. "I saw. During the video call."
