Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The silence was agonizing.
, Mom cracked. “We… we are passionate advocates for fresh air circulation.”
Declan looked at the frost-covered, tightly sealed windows. “You circulate it with the glass shut?”
Near the hallway, Kyle suddenly bent double, violently pretending to examine the laces on his loafers to hide his face.
He graciously accepted the glass. She then reached forward, her hands hovering near his shoulders.
“Allow me to take your jacket, Declan.”
He took a step back, clutching the thick nylon of his coat with a protective grip. “Oh, no thank you. I am absolutely going to keep this on. Forever, probably.”
Brooke maintained her manic smile, though her eyes betrayed a rising panic.
Sitting prominently next to a vase of imported orchids was the glittery, handmade birthday card Lucy had created the night before.
Declan leaned over and picked it up, smiling at the crooked crayon lettering. “This is incredibly cute. ‘Happy Birthday Grandma.’”
