Chapter 46

• "Are the kids asleep?" Mom greeted me when I got down the stairs.
• She worries for the twins, and I know that. Because of the kids' idleness, even Mommy and Daddy couldn't resist paying attention to them. I immediately canceled my following appointment after what happened in the office and took my kids home. I had a strong desire to make it up to them. Seeing her waiting for me like this only emphasized how shaken she was, too, as though my children’s emotions had seeped into the entire house. Even the air felt heavier, carrying the residue of their unspoken pain. My own shoulders sagged under the weight of everything I had to handle, everything I couldn't fix immediately. For a moment, I simply stood there, grounding myself before walking closer.
• I replied with a stern nod and moved over to the couch where Mom was seated.