The sound of an uneven gait echoed off the floor, and Anita slouched against the nearby doorframe with a hand pressed over her forehead. What time was it?

Oh! Claude came back alive! Her favorite start to a day. Night? Seeing her children alive!

“You’re home,” she declared with a not-quite-right smile, squinting. “So good to see you home!”

Her gaze landed on Harry, and there was a motion of her lips like she was swishing something distasteful about.

“You too,” she added as cheerfully as she could muster. “I put some dinner on the stove.”

Was that today? Hopefully.

“Thank god, it's so good to see you home!” she repeated, though it almost seemed like she had just realized for the second time that Claude was indeed home.

And then she looked at her husband, and couldn't find the way to fumble the right words a second round.