Leander sat at the head of the dining table, jaw tight and brows furrowed slightly. His phone illuminated his face in a cold blue glow. His thumb moved in lazy arcs across the screen, scrolling through something that demanded his complete attention.
Thalia entered from the kitchen, carrying two plates. The ceramic was warm beneath her fingers, the weight of the food familiar in her hands. She set one before him, his usual seared salmon with asparagus.
Thalia placed her own plate at the seat to his right and lowered herself into the chair. The cushion creaked under her weight.
She watched him for a moment. Watched the way his eyes never lifted from the screen. Watched the way his free hand reached automatically for his fork, and his gaze was still fixed downward.
The silence stretched between them.
Thalia picked up her own fork, speared a piece of asparagus, and chewed. She swallowed. "Someone came to see me today," she said.
No response for three full seconds.
