The house felt different now, the warm light in the living room suddenly seeming thin and artificial.
I walked back toward the kitchen to retrieve my purse, my fingers tightening around the edge of the blue book.
Arthur was standing by the refrigerator, his back to the door, his large frame blocking the light from the stove.
He was staring intensely at the yellow sticky note Brenda had left on the freezer door, his head tilted slightly to the side.
He did not move when I entered, though the soft click of my shoes must have been clear in the quiet room.
“I found my planner,” I said softly, holding the book against my ribs like a shield.
Arthur turned slowly, his face flat and unreadable under the low light.
He looked down at the blue leather book in my hands, his eyes lingering on the worn gold lettering on the spine.
“Did you lose something important, Nora?” he asked, his voice low and slow.
“Just my schedule,” I said, my voice rising at the end as I twirled my ring. “I forgot I left it in the hallway.”
