Chapter 27

• Dinner was always quiet in the Valco house, but that night the silence felt heavier than usual—thick with all the things no one ever said. I sat across from my father, watching him slice his steak with mechanical precision.
• Then, without looking up, he said sharply, “Brian, you’ve been coming home late these days. Can I know what you’re busy with?”
• Brian froze. He didn’t answer, his eyes flicking in my direction for a brief moment before dropping back to his plate.