He opened his eyes.
He did not jump up.
He did not pretend to be startled.
He simply looked at her with such profound sadness that her knees began to tremble.
Then he tightened his hand gently around Noah’s shoulder.
“You came back early.”
The shoe slipped from Evelyn’s hand.
Its impact against the floor woke Noah.
His bloodshot eyes flew open, and he screamed as though someone buried for months had suddenly returned from the dead.
Noah sat up violently and scrambled backward until his body struck the headboard.
He fought for breath.
His eyes remained fixed on Evelyn, but he seemed unable to recognize her.
Daniel held him carefully by the forearms and spoke in a slow, steady voice.
“You’re at home, son. That’s your mother. Look at her. You’re safe.”
