So he buried himself in work instead.
He stayed late at the office.
He answered calls during dinner.
He told himself he was providing for them.
Deep down, he knew that was only half true.
One afternoon, Hannah rolled the boys onto the back patio.
The air smelled like cut grass and pool chlorine. Wind moved through the oaks along the fence line.
They had not been outside much in months.
Hannah shaded her eyes and smiled.
“Well,” she said, “the sun still works.”
Ethan’s mouth twitched.
She pretended not to notice.
“You two used to come out here a lot?” she asked.
No answer.
Then Evan whispered, “Mom liked the fountain.”
Hannah looked over at the stone fountain spilling water into a blue-tiled basin.
“I can see why,” she said. “It sounds peaceful.”
The boys listened to the water.
For the first time in a long time, they didn’t look like they were trying to disappear.
After that, Hannah made the backyard part of their routine.
A few minutes at first.
