Elise pretending not to care while sending birthday gifts too expensive for children.
Marco teaching Owen how to stand with his arms crossed and look unimpressed.
Lily learning she did not have to earn love by being useful.
It was not the life I had expected.
It was better.
Then my phone rang.
Elise.
I stepped a few feet away.
“Yes?”
Her voice was controlled, but something underneath it had shifted. “We recovered part of the corrupted video.”
I looked back at the children.
