“Mom?” I knelt, my knees hitting hardwood. “What are you doing out here?”

She woke as if surfacing from deep water. “Oh, sweetheart. Daniel said there wasn’t space. He said the guest room and Sophie’s room were being treated for mold. Just for one night.” She said it gently, as if the gentleness might make it hurt less. Then she touched my wrist and added, “Please don’t be upset. He asked me not to tell you—he didn’t want to worry you while you were away.”

Everything in me clenched. I tucked the blanket tighter around her and kissed her temple. “Don’t tell him I came home early,” I whispered. “Not yet.” She nodded. I walked out quietly, stood in the driveway until my breathing slowed, then came back through the front door like a woman arriving right on time with lunch.