The Things That Keep Us Here: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)

“Balances all-too-real terrors with genuine emotion. I read it in one sitting.” —Jacquelyn Mitchard“Riveting . . . crisp writing and taut pacing . . . could attract fans of authors as diverse as Jodi Picoult, Robin Cook, and P. D. James.” —Library Journal “Engrossing . . . [for] anyone who enjoys suspense and exceptional writing.”— The Dallas Morning News “A brilliant debut that deserves to be read by everyone.”—James Rollins, author of Altar of Eden “Guaranteed to keep you up all night.” —Lisa Gardner, author of Live to Tell “[A] knockout.”— Los Angeles Times Carla Buckley was born in Washington, D.C. She has worked in a variety of jobs, including a stint as an assistant press secretary for a U.S. senator, an analyst with the Smithsonian Institution, and a technical writer for a defense contractor. She currently lives in Ohio with her husband and children. The Things That Keep Us Here is her first novel. Random House will publish Buckley's next novel in 2012. From the Hardcover edition. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter Elevenxa0xa0P eter wedged his jacket into the hall closet besidexa0the girls’ coats, their cheerful colors standing out againstxa0the tan of his jacket and the sober maroon of Ann’s coat, the samexa0one she’d had for years. Boots stood on the floor below—Maddie’sxa0mauve leopard print, Ann’s stubby brown ones, and a sleek blackxa0pair with designs stitched into the leather with white thread. Kate’s,xa0probably. She’d always loved cowboy boots. He remembered herxa0first pair, a bright cherry color, that she loved so much she insistedxa0on wearing them everywhere, to the store, on playdates, even toxa0bed. After she’d fallen asleep, either he or Ann would tiptoe in andxa0gently ease the boots off her feet. But then, sure enough, the nextxa0morning she’d appear in the kitchen doorway, yawning, still in herxa0nightgown and wearing those boots. How old had she been, two?xa0Maybe three. She’d cried so when she finally outgrew them and Annxa0couldn’t find a pair in a larger size.xa0In the kitchen, Ann was tearing open a box of pasta and dumpingxa0its contents into a pot of bubbling water. She looked up as hexa0approached, and she swept back a strand of hair from her face withxa0the back of her hand. “It’s just sauce from a jar tonight.”xa0Peter thought of her homemade marinara, rich with choppedxa0onion and garlic and bell peppers. He wondered if this hasty mealxa0was a result of her working full- time or if this was just the way shexa0and the girls ate now. Somehow, he’d thought all three would bexa0frozen in time, doing the same things the same way they alwaysxa0had, just without him. “Smells good.”xa0“Get out the Parmesan, Maddie,” Ann said. “Kate, please set thexa0table.” She glanced over her shoulder at Peter. “I think there’s a bottlexa0of wine in the basement if you want to hunt it up.”xa0“Sure.”xa0He found it easily enough, lying in the wine rack above thexa0mini- refrigerator, just where he’d left it. Rubbing away the dustxa0from the smooth glass shoulders of the bottle, he came back into thexa0kitchen. Maddie was pouring cheese into a small bowl while Katexa0spread place mats across the kitchen table. Shazia stood by the sink,xa0a water glass in her hand.xa0He winked at her and she smiled.xa0Ann stirred the pasta. “Do you have a lot of family in Cairo,xa0Shazia?”xa0“All my family’s there,” Shazia replied. “My brother, my sister,xa0my parents. My father comes from a large family. He’s one of tenxa0children.”xa0“Ten!” Maddie said. “That’s practically a soccer team.”xa0Shazia smiled. “I have a lot of cousins.”xa0“I can imagine,” Ann said. “What does your father do?”xa0“He’s a medical doctor.”xa0“And you’re getting your PhD. He must be very proud of you.”xa0“Shazia went to Oxford.” Peter opened a drawer and beganxa0hunting for a corkscrew among the rattle of spoons and spatulas.xa0“And she got her DVM in Cairo.”xa0“Impressive.” Ann brought out a loaf of bread and began to slicexa0it. “So, you’re making the switch from veterinary medicine to research?”xa0Peter knew what Ann was thinking. He’d made the same careerxa0jump. He remembered telling Ann he was entering research. He’dxa0leaned across the table and clasped her hands in his. Later, she’dxa0confided she thought he was about to propose. When that time didxa0come, it was over a table, too, and there was candlelight and wine.xa0He looked down at the bottle in his hands and got busy.xa0“I read one of Peter’s articles online,” Shazia said. “It was veryxa0persuasive. He said the best way to make a real difference in animalxa0health was through research.”xa0“I like your phone,” Kate said. “It’s such a cool color.”xa0“Look how tiny the keypad is,” Shazia said, pulling it from herxa0pocket.xa0“Wow.”xa0“How are you finding Columbus?” Ann asked. “It must be quitexa0a change from Oxford and Cairo.”xa0Shazia laughed. “In many ways, yes. But it’s actually been anxa0easier adjustment than I expected. People have been very welcoming.xa0There are lots of international students here.”xa0Peter held up the wine bottle and Shazia shook her head. Shexa0set down her water glass. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go lie down.xa0I have a terrible headache.”xa0“Of course.” Ann wiped her hands on a dishtowel. “Let me showxa0you your room and get you some towels. Peter, would you dish thexa0girls up?”xa0She said it so casually. Dish the girls up . One of the shorthandxa0expressions they used to use all the time. Surprising how nostalgicxa0he felt hearing it again. Staying here was going to be more difficultxa0than he’d realized. He watched Ann climb the stairs, her voice floatingxa0lightly down as she talked to Shazia, showing her around, welcomingxa0her into what would be her home, too, for a little while.xa0After dinner, peter stood in the doorway of maddie’s room. Dishes clattered from the kitchen below as Ann cleaned up.xa0Shazia was in the guest room down the hall. He heard the soft murmurxa0of her voice and guessed she was on the phone.xa0He put his hands on his hips. “You’re sure you brushed yourxa0teeth, Maddie?”xa0She giggled from where she lay in bed. “Yes, Daddy.”xa0“Because I’m not coming in if you haven’t.”xa0“I have. I swear.”xa0“With toothpaste?”xa0“With toothpaste.”xa0“All right then.” He reached down to turn on the nightlight, thenxa0straightened and switched off the overhead light. The room wasxa0bathed in a soft glow. He made his way to her bed and sat down besidexa0her.xa0Maddie lay back against her pillow and looked up at him seriously.xa0His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and now he could see herxa0features, the rounded curves of her cheeks, the sleepy slants of herxa0eyes so like Ann’s. He’d noticed that she’d lost another tooth, a bottomxa0one along the side. What was the Tooth Fairy bringing thesexa0days? The going rate used to be five bucks. Once they couldn’t rummagexa0up enough bills between them to slide under seven- year- oldxa0Kate’s pillow. In triumph, he had produced a Lowe’s gift card. Soxa0much laughter. They should have saved some of it for the years toxa0come.xa0Maddie said, “My teacher told us that birds are making peoplexa0sick.”xa0“ Uh- huh.”xa0She frowned. “You’re around birds all the time.”xa0“Well, that’s true. But I wear a special suit. Did you know that?”xa0“Like Superman?”xa0“No. It has a mask and goggles to keep infection from gettingxa0through and gloves to protect my hands. Sometimes I put on whitexa0overalls so I don’t spread the infection around.”xa0“And you wear that all the time?”xa0“Oh, yes. Whenever I go in the field. I keep all that stuff in myxa0truck.”xa0“Do we need suits? Kate, Mommy, and me?”xa0“No. I don’t think so.” He brushed the hair back from her forehead.xa0“Now I lay me down to sleep.”xa0“I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May God’s love be with mexa0through the night and wake me with the morning light.” Shexa0yawned and smiled up at him.xa0He kissed her cheek, so soft and warm. He’d missed this. “Goodxa0night, Maddie girl.”xa0He was at her doorway when she spoke up again.xa0“Daddy?”xa0“Hmm?”xa0“Are you and Mom still having a divorce?”xa0Poor Maddie. This turn of events must be so confusing for her.xa0“Yes, sweetheart,” he said gently. “We are.”xa0Kate was a mound of blankets in the deep gloom of her bedroom,xa0leaning up against her headboard, waiting for him. “Hey,” shexa0said as he sat heavily on her bed.xa0He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. “Hey. Youxa0ever clean this place?”xa0“Only when Mom threatens to take away my phone.”xa0She’d been dabbing on perfume again, its sweetness minglingxa0with the fruity aroma of her shampoo and the mint of her toothpaste.xa0He remembered the days when they had to plead with Katexa0to take a bath. When she was six, they had to stand over her to getxa0her to brush her teeth.xa0“How long are you staying?” she asked.xa0“Maybe a few days. We’ll see.”xa0She bit her lower lip. “This is really serious, isn’t it?”xa0“Yes.”xa0“People are dying, right?”xa0“Yes.”xa0“Do you know anyone who’s died?”xa0He thought about that, then shook his head. “No one I know of,xa0honey. Certainly no one here.”xa0“Are we going to die?”xa0He picked up her stuffed owl, limp with age, its beak hangingxa0on by a few stitches. Where had this come from? He hadn’t seen itxa0in years. She leaned forward, and he settled it behind her head.xa0How his daughter could sleep without a pillow was beyond him, butxa0she never complained of a sore neck. “I know things seem to havexa0happened awfully fast. But scientists and governments have beenxa0working on this problem for a long time. We knew this was coming.xa0We just didn’t know when. There are all sorts of plans and proceduresxa0in place to protect us.”xa0“Like closing school?”xa0“Exactly. Which is a very smart thing to do. If we can keep people from catching it from one another, we can give scientists time toxa0work on a vaccine.”xa0She made a face. “That means a shot.”xa0If only it were that simple.xa0“Just think,” he said, rising. “No school tomorrow. You can IM toxa0your heart’s content.”xa0“No one IMs anymore, Dad.”xa0“No?”xa0“They text.”xa0“Ah.” These were the things he missed so painfully: the lostxa0tooth, the backpack exchanged for a floppy bag, no more chocolatexa0syrup stirred into milk. These next few days would be an unexpectedxa0gift, a chance to reconnect with his daughters. “Well, thenxa0you can text to your heart’s content.”xa0“Right. Tell Mom that.” She yawned and turned over. “Goodxa0night, Dad.”xa0That was another thing: Dad instead of Daddy. Maybe that wasxa0the thing he missed the most.xa0Ann was up when peter came into the kitchen early thexa0next morning. She stood by the coffeemaker, her hand on the potxa0handle, waiting for the water to stop dripping. She wore her oldxa0blue terry robe with the sagging pockets, and her hair was mussed.xa0She wasn’t one for predawn conversation, so he was surprised whenxa0she spoke. “Coffee?”xa0“Please.” He’d missed her coffee. Every pot he brewed was eitherxa0bitter sludge or tasteless brown water.xa0“Sleep okay?”xa0“Fine.”xa0“Really.” She handed him a mug, the one Kate had painted at axa0long- ago birthday party, the orange happy face faded now from soxa0many washings. “Beth says that sofa’s a medieval torture device.”xa0Ann’s sister had known what she was talking about. There wasxa0a certain pernicious spring that dug into his ribs whenever hexa0turned over. “It’s like the Four Seasons compared to the one in myxa0apartment. Speaking of which, I’m going to head in and grab somexa0clothes.”xa0She nodded toward the television set playing quietly in the familyxa0room. “They’re reporting a few cases in Mexico now.” Already? He lifted his mug so she couldn’t see his expression.xa0Mexico was close. There were all sorts of migrations between Mexicoxa0and the United States, human and otherwise. So the latest modelingxa0studies had been correct: restricting air travel had had littlexa0effect on containing the spread of the virus.xa0She poured coffee into a second mug and pushed the pot backxa0onto the burner. “Nothing in Egypt, though. Did Shazia reach herxa0parents?”xa0“Not that I know of.” He drank some coffee. No cream, ofxa0course, but he could make do with some milk.xa0“They must be so worried. Well, maybe they’ll talk today.” Shexa0sipped her coffee. “Hamburgers sound okay for dinner?”xa0“Sure.” He’d forgotten this, the way- too- early decision- makingxa0about what to have for dinner. He didn’t care what they ate. Hexa0never had, but Ann had always needed to regiment her day into segments.xa0Errand time, laundry time, mealtime. It was how she’dxa0coped as a stay- at- home mother. He wondered if things were differentxa0now that she’d gone back to work.xa0He reached into the refrigerator for the milk. “How are you forxa0cash?”xa0“The ATMs were cleaned out by the time we got to the bank.”xa0“They should be up and running now. I’ll get water, too.”xa0“It was horrible last night.”xa0“Sounds like it.” At least she’d come away with only a bruisedxa0shin. It could have been worse.xa0“That shooting at Kroger?” She shook her head. “They said onxa0the news that it was over a parking space.”xa0He couldn’t believe it, either. “Well, things should have calmedxa0down.” He was here now. If anyone would be going to the store, itxa0would be him. “Ann?”xa0She looked over.xa0“You know we can’t let the girls play with their friends.”xa0“For the whole three months, do you think?”xa0“We’ll have to take it a day at a time.”xa0“It’s going to be so hard on them. Especially Kate.”xa0“It’s better than the alternative.”xa0She looked at him over the rim of her cup and nodded.xa0traffic was fairly light until he neared the airport.xa0Then the highway jittered with cars, brake lights flashing irritably,xa0no doubt filled with students trying desperately to get home. Anxa0airplane thundered across the sky, its lights twinkling red and whitexa0in the darkness. Peter broke free of the backup and headed for thexa0side streets. Here, the neighborhoods were still half- asleep, just axa0few cars working their way down the road. People yawned at busxa0stops and slumped against walls, waiting for rides.xa0Up ahead, Tower West rose against the lavender sky, dark exceptxa0for the bright band of light that glowed through the glass of thexa0first- floor lobby windows. Cars packed the lot and overflowed ontoxa0the grassy spaces between the buildings. A uniformed man was justxa0coming out of the building. The guard from last night. Peter recognizedxa0the weary set of his shoulders. He slowed and rolled down hisxa0window.xa0“We’re full up,” the man said in response to Peter’s question.xa0“We had to turn away a lot of kids. They just kept coming.” He shookxa0his head, his gaze distant. “You plan for the worst. And then whenxa0the worst happens, you find out just how useless your planningxa0was.”xa0Ten blocks away, a brick apartment building held down the corner,xa0squat and square. The lobby doors stood open. The buildingxa0manager was a stickler for keeping them locked. Peter stepped insidexa0and listened. A television muttered in the apartment to his left.xa0Bikes leaned against the wall. Normal. He shrugged and closed thexa0door behind him. Taking the stairs to the second floor, he unlockedxa0the far door on the right. Here, too, everything appeared the same.xa0The narrow bed in the corner, its covers pulled taut. The batteredxa0table that served as both nightstand and kitchen table, holding axa0gooseneck lamp, coffeepot, and alarm clock. The folding chair inxa0the opposite corner beside the small bookcase. The framed photographsxa0of the girls, Maddie’s duck painting taped to the wall. He’dxa0left the drapes half- open. Pale sun streamed across the worn carpet.xa0He filled his suitcase and slung some things into a duffel bag. Hexa0unplugged the television and DVD player, and drew the curtainsxa0shut. He stood and stared around at the small space, his home forxa0more than a year.xa0Out in the hallway, a man and a woman trooped up the stairsxa0toward him. He recognized them as his next- door neighbors, bothxa0college students. Peter had learned to work late on weekend nightsxa0to avoid the inevitable parties and to close his ears to their earlymorningxa0lovemaking. They pressed themselves against the wall toxa0let Peter and his bags squeeze past.xa0“Take care,” the woman said.xa0First time she’d ever spoken to him. It sounded so final. Peterxa0nodded. “You too.”xa0She continued up the stairs, the man’s arm around her shoulders.xa0The streets had perked up during his brief absence. The coffeexa0shop on the corner was doing a brisk business. People thronged thexa0patio and overflowed onto the sidewalk, chatting as they waited forxa0their morning brew. People swooped past on bikes. Others walkedxa0hand in hand down the sidewalks. Downtown was beginning toxa0have a carnival air about it, everyone hanging out, enjoying the unexpectedxa0day off from school and work.xa0Peter shook his head and loaded his bags into the back of thexa0pickup.xa0He drove by playgrounds that an hour before had been empty.xa0Kids ran everywhere, calling out to one another. Their parentsxa0stood in idle clusters, rocking strollers and no doubt negotiatingxa0how to manage this day and all the suddenly school- free days toxa0follow. Movie theaters would be swamped. So would the mall, fastfoodxa0restaurants, the library, and rec center, anyplace that welcomedxa0kids. A mistake.xa0This wasn’t the time for celebration. These people shouldn’t bexa0standing out here, laughing, gossiping. He considered stopping,xa0rolling down his window, and telling them to go home. But of coursexa0he didn’t. They wouldn’t listen. They’d think he was a madman.xa0“listen to this.” shazia sat on the floor in the cornerxa0of the den, laptop balanced on her knees, her hair loose about herxa0shoulders. She was playing with her barrette, snapping and unsnappingxa0it. “RNL is working on a vaccine.”xa0“Who isn’t?” Peter looked back to his computer screen andxa0typed a few commands. He had to download his lectures for thexa0week and then post the exam. It was all master’s- level work. At thatxa0point, students could be expected to follow the honor system.xa0“But it looks like they may have something. They’ve alreadyxa0moved on to Phase Two of clinical trials.”xa0Peter swiveled in his chair to look at her. “Really?”xa0She nodded. “A Dr. Liederman’s leading it.”xa0“Albert Liederman?”xa0“You know him?”xa0“My old doctoral advisor. I haven’t talked to him in months.”xa0Which had been a worry. Over the course of the past year, Liedermanxa0had stopped attending conferences and returning phone calls.xa0Peter had thought the old fellow was slowing down, but now itxa0seemed he had simply diverted his energies elsewhere. “I’ve beenxa0after him for years to write a memoir about the ’78 influenza outbreak.xa0We came that close to a full- blown pandemic.” He held up hisxa0thumb and forefinger pinched together.xa0“In 1978?”xa0She had probably never even heard about it. Few people had.xa0“You should hear him talk about it. That guy could send shiversxa0down your spine.”xa0But talk was all Liederman would do. How many times had hexa0grumbled, “I can’t write a book, Brooks. That’s your job.”xa0Peter leaned back in his chair. “He gave me his notes a whilexa0ago. Told me to take a crack at putting together a book. Maybe youxa0could help me organize the material.”xa0“I’d like that.”xa0He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye, and he lookedxa0over to see Ann standing in the doorway of the den. “Want to lightxa0the grill?”xa0Shazia set down her laptop. “I’ll help.”xa0“Stay put.” Peter waved his hand. “Tonight I’m cooking.”xa0Shazia looked at him. “That’ll be nice.”xa0He knew what she was thinking. What kind of dish could shexa0expect from a guy who ate from vending machines and take-outxa0restaurants?xa0Peter walked beside Ann down the hall. “I might have foundxa0Shazia a place. The school’s going to open up Baldwin Hall. I persuadedxa0them to take her even if she’s not on the official list.”xa0“It’s too bad she won’t be with her roommate.”xa0“There’ll be other international students there. She’ll knowxa0someone.”xa0Maddie sprawled on her belly in front of the television set. Hexa0had no idea what shows were her favorites these days. He’d neverxa0seen this particular one before, something involving preteen girlsxa0arguing with a man in a hotel uniform. He stopped beside thexa0couch where Kate sat, laptop propped before her. His old computer,xa0outdated but powerful enough for her to play around on. “Who arexa0you talking to?”xa0She answered without looking up. “Michele. Claire. John. Andrea.xa0Scooter.”xa0He looked over at Ann. “John? Scooter?” These weren’t namesxa0he’d heard before. What kind of name was Scooter? He couldn’txa0even tell what gender it belonged to.xa0“John is Michele’s boyfriend.” Ann handed him a platter of hamburgerxa0patties. “And Scooter’s a boy in one of Kate’s classes.”xa0Peter looked down at Kate. Pink blossomed across her cheekbonesxa0as she stared at her computer screen. He glanced back atxa0Ann. She was frowning slightly. Then she shook her head. Don’t sayxa0anything, she was telegraphing, and he nodded.xa0So soon. He slid open the screen door and stepped out onto thexa0patio. Too soon. Kate had just turned thirteen. He looked backxa0through the glass at his daughter cross- legged on the sofa, coltish,xa0long brown hair falling forward. She tapped gracefully at the keyboard,xa0her hands all smooth motion, sitting back and laughing. Thexa0sight of it made his heart twist.xa0He turned the dial and was glad to see the answering flame. Hexa0hadn’t thought to check the propane level. He shoveled the burgersxa0onto the grill and set down the empty platter.xa0It was a crisp evening, cold enough to cloud his breath into softxa0puffs. Streetlights burned up and down the dark sidewalks. He’dxa0missed the sunset.xa0A dark SUV glided past. The driver lifted his hand in greeting.xa0It was that doctor who lived beside the Guarnieris, what was hisxa0name? Singh. That was it. He’d moved into the neighborhood a fewxa0months before Peter moved out. They used to nod politely at eachxa0other as they crisscrossed their lawns with mowers. The vehiclexa0slowed in front of the driveway and Peter saw a figure step in frontxa0of the headlights, followed by a smaller, shaggier shape.xa0Walter Finn and his dog. The animal was genial enough, butxa0you couldn’t say the same about the man. Finn was forever circulatingxa0petitions against one thing or another: too many weeds in axa0neighbor’s yard, bikes left scattered across sidewalks, snow goingxa0unshoveled, all the petty grievances that sprang up in a suburbanxa0community, which most people ignored but onto which Finn fastenedxa0greedy claws.xa0Peter stabbed at the burgers and flipped them over.xa0The dog tugged at his leash, wanting to come over and investigatexa0the meat he was cooking. Finn lifted his head and spottedxa0Peter standing conspicuously against the bright light shining fromxa0the kitchen behind him. Peter braced himself for another round ofxa0what’s- this- neighborhood- coming- to, but Finn jerked the leash insteadxa0and tugged the dog away.xa0“Heel, Barney,” he ordered, and the dog shambled over to checkxa0out who’d been visiting the tree on the far corner.xa0Peter had been afforded a reprieve. Finn must have figured outxa0he wasn’t the go- to guy of the house any longer. Turning back to thexa0grill, he saw Smith standing at his own grill just across the yard.xa0“Dude,” Smith said. “Good to see you.”xa0“Been a while.”xa0“Crazy times, huh? Libby sent me out for water today, but all Ixa0could find was that fizzy designer stuff.”xa0“I got lucky at a gas station on Franz. A delivery truck was justxa0unloading when I pulled up. We’ve got extra you can have.”xa0“I’ll take you up on that. Libby’s been a wreck about it.”xa0They talked back and forth across their patios. Would the NFLxa0adjust to a few missed games? How much farther would the Dowxa0Jones skid before recovering? Was there any end in sight to thexa0price of gas? Libby came out, the baby in her arms, and handedxa0Smith a platter.xa0“Hey,” Peter said.xa0“Hello,” she said coolly.xa0Well, at least she wasn’t pretending he was invisible. This wasxa0progress. Peter pushed his luck. “Jacob’s gotten big.” Last time he’dxa0seen the baby, he’d been cradled easily in one arm. Now the kidxa0straddled Libby’s hip, reaching forward with one plump hand forxa0the piece of bun Smith held out.xa0Smith said, “Gonna grow up to be a linebacker, just like his oldxa0man.”xa0The coals glowed softly. The smell of cooked meat rose. Peterxa0pressed the spatula beneath the hamburgers and lifted them onto axa0plate. Picking up the platter, he dialed off the heat.xa0“Hey,” Smith said. “I got an idea. Why don’t you guys comexa0over?”xa0An old tradition, combining their cookouts onto one patio orxa0dining room.xa0“Smith,” Libby said.xa0“Jeez, Libby. Come on. If Ann’s cool with it—”xa0“Actually,” Peter said, “Libby’s right. We should probably bexa0keeping our distance.”xa0Silence.xa0“Christ.” Smith’s voice came to him out of the darkness. “Right.xa0I guess I saw something about that on the news. You really thinkxa0it’ll do any good?”xa0“It’s all we can do.”xa0The clatter of a grill lid lowered into place. “Well, good to seexa0you, Peter.”xa0“You too.”xa0Peter looked around at all the houses, large, dark squares risingxa0out of the ground, windows glowing bright, islands separated byxa0lawns and closed doors. The empty patios, the tables with the chairsxa0stacked and the umbrellas furled. No one else was out enjoying thexa0spate of clear weather.xa0He looked back at his own house. Through the glass he saw intoxa0the kitchen—Ann reaching down a stack of plates from the cabinet,xa0Maddie collecting her drawing materials, Kate pouring a glass ofxa0milk. It all appeared normal, but it wasn’t. Everything had changed. Read more