Val wasn't home yet when I walked in. The apartment was quiet, save for the soft purring of Duchess curled on the sofa and Aline quietly tidying up in the kitchen. Normally, I'd have paused to change into something more comfortable, maybe even made a cup of tea, but tonight, my mind was still tangled in numbers and spreadsheets from the day.
Twenty minutes later, the front door opened, and Val stepped in. At first, I didn't register the look on her face. A slight frown, a barely perceptible sigh, maybe she'd had a rough day at work. I told myself that's all it was.
Dinner came and went, quiet and routine, the sort of shared meal that required little conversation because both of us were still carrying the weight of the day. It wasn't until later, when we were back in the bedroom, that the tension became impossible to ignore.
