Three days after Arianne left, the house felt less chaotic, but it still was not back to its normal rhythm.
Franz stood at the foot of the twins' beds and realized that routine alone was not enough to make them cooperate. Lily brushed her teeth without being told. Leo finished his homework before dinner without complaint. But when it was time for bed, both resisted in ways they had not during previous months—subtle but persistent.
Leo sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floorboards. Since Arianne left, he had grown quieter. He went through his days as told, but he often looked toward the staircase, as if waiting for footsteps that would not come for four more nights.
"It is past your usual time," Franz said, keeping his voice even.
Leo did not look up.
Next to him, Lily lay beneath her blanket but had not pulled it to her chin as she normally would. She watched Franz instead of pretending to sleep, her head tilted slightly toward the doorway.
