The door closed behind Lorrlyne with a sound that felt heavier than it should have.
Not loud.Not final in the way endings announce themselves.Just deliberate, as though the apartment itself had been instructed to notice.
Zane stood where he was, one hand still resting against the back of the sofa, listening to the quiet settle into the penthouse without resistance. The absence of Zana altered the acoustics immediately, stripping the space of the small, constant noises that had filled it for weeks. No toys shifting. No soft commentary from another room. No interruptions disguised as routine.
Only stillness.
Willow set the insulated bag of milk carefully into the refrigerator, aligning it by habit, labeling already checked, the small domestic ritual grounding her in a way she did not acknowledge. She closed the door slowly and leaned her palm against it for half a second longer than necessary, then straightened and turned.
They looked at each other.
