Silence was not the same as refusal.
Lily had been repeating that to herself for days. Sitting on the edge of the couch with her legs tucked beneath her, Lily stared at the darkened screen of her phone.
If it were a refusal, their Aunt Arianne would have said so.
Lily believed her Aunt Arianne had never been someone who avoided saying no.
"It's been nine days," she told Leo, who was seated on the floor.
Leo glanced at her, then scribbled on his board. "Eight."
"Nine," Lily repeated, opening the calendar and turning the screen toward him. "Nine, if you count the day we asked."
Leo blinked, then nodded. He didn't try to correct her anymore. He believed counting depended on where one decided the waiting began.
Their Uncle Franz had been quite busy these days, so they were staying with their grandparents.
With nothing else to do, waiting had become their routine.
"She didn't say no," Lily said, testing the words as if they might change shape.
