Max returned home, the time was barely seven at night, he could hear Jennifer humming softly from inside Machina's bedroom, her low voice gentle and steady as she put Chevy to bed, the small rhythm of it filling the apartment with a quiet warmth.
While Machina greeted him with a soft smile at the entrance, her eyes lingering on him for a second longer than usual, and he simply nodded his head in calm acknowledgment, before walking past her without hurry and heading to his room.
Taking a shower where the sound of running water washed away the weight of the long day, then changing into more comfortable night pajamas, his movements were unhurried.
Coming out of his room, drying his hair lightly with a towel, he saw Machina preparing the table with careful hands, adjusting the plates and aligning the cutlery neatly, the warm dishes rising with soft steam that carried the scent of spices and home.
