She hums softly. I slide the eggs onto two plates, then set one in front of her. She stares at it, then at me.
“I didn’t ask for—”
“I know.”
A beat.
Then she sits. Takes the fork. Eats.
Quiet settles again, but it feels different now. Less sharp. Less fragile.
Rook inches closer to me this time, his attention shifting between us as if he’s recalibrating.
I crouch slightly, holding a small piece of egg out. He hesitates, then takes it.
Carefully. Slowly.
I straighten. Lark watches the entire exchange like it matters more than breakfast.
“You’re winning him over,” she says.
“I’m feeding him.”
“Same thing.”
The rest of breakfast is eaten in companionable silence, and with a glance at the clock on the wall, the one my mother put up in the hopes that I’d start showing up to family dinner on time, I figure I might as well get a start on the day.
Gathering our dishes, I make quick work with the soap and water. I finish rinsing the plate, set it into the rack, then dry my hands slowly before I turn.
Lark stands near the edge of the kitchen, her arms loosely crossed, her weight shifted onto one hip like she’s trying to look casual and not quite succeeding. Her gaze moves over the space, taking in details that most people wouldn’t notice—the line of the cabinets, the worn edge of the table, the faint scuff marks along the floor where boots have tracked in more than they should.
“You keep it clean,” she says.
I shrug.
“Habit.”
Her mouth curves slightly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“It feels… lived in,” she adds.
I glance around, seeing the space the way she might—boots by the door, a jacket thrown over the back of a chair, tools stacked neatly along the wall where I left them yesterday.
“It is,” I say.
She nods once, then shifts her attention toward the hallway.
“I should probably—” She gestures vaguely. “—get cleaned up.”
My gaze follows the motion without thinking. Toward the door. Toward my room. The awareness hits instantly, sharp and unavoidable.
I clear my throat and push off the counter.
“Towels are in the bathroom. Cabinet above the sink.”
She nods again.
“Thanks.”
