Robert
The house had gone quiet again, the kind of quiet that wasn't empty but watchful. It pressed in around me as I stood by the kitchen doorway, listening to the fading echo of Olivia's footsteps after she stormed out. The slam of the door still rang in my ears, sharp and final, and for a moment I just stood there, hands braced on the counter, breathing through the tension knotted in my chest.
I hadn't meant for it to unfold that way.
I turned slowly and found Tessa still by the stove, her shoulders stiff, her fingers curled tightly around the wooden spoon she hadn't used in a while. She hadn't said a word since Olivia left. That silence worried me more than shouting ever could.
"Tessa…" I called softly.
She flinched, then relaxed when she realized it was just me. She turned, forcing a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I guess dinner is… ruined."
"No," I said immediately, stepping closer. "It's not."
