It happened on Day Six, and Eleanor had been with us for nearly a week. She had settled into the penthouse like she had always lived there and reorganized my kitchen three times and critiqued my interior design on five separate occasions. She had called Lucas approximately fifty-three different name variations according to Kevin's increasingly detailed spreadsheet.
And she had given him a key to her house.
Lucas had carried that key with him everywhere since she gave it to him, and I knew this because I had seen him touch his pocket occasionally. Just a brief unconscious gesture like he was checking that it was still there and still real and still his.
Sophie and Kevin arrived that morning with pastries from Marlene's. The café had survived the storm with minimal damage, and Marlene had sent a note: "For Eleanor. She'll appreciate good pastry. Unlike some people." Sophie had interpreted "some people" as herself and had been dramatically offended for approximately four minutes.
