Aunt Lyla's expression, which had softened upon seeing him, now sharpened back into that careful, protective stillness. Her eyes, warm and welcoming just a second before, narrowed slightly as she looked him over again. The pieces were not fitting together.
"Why," she asked, her voice dropping to a lower, more deliberate register, "do you want to meet her?"
Aaron shifted on the doorstep, his composure seeming to waver under her intense gaze. "I… I just need to talk to her," he said, the words coming out in a rushed, earnest tumble. "She left, and she was so angry. She misunderstood something, and I have to explain."
"Misunderstood something?" Aunt Lyla echoed, her head tilting slightly. A deeper suspicion, cold and unwelcome, began to coil in her stomach. She took a half-step forward, her voice dropping almost to a whisper. "Are you… that secret boyfriend? The one she never brought home?"
