THE TRUTH IN OUR EYES

e second floor. Too close

lite but guarded smile. "We keep things quiet in this house," she

te

only n

king. She'd seen him. Elio. Her son. His face-Roman's eyes, her mouth. Hi

reathing the s

didn't

st three years of his life-her cousin Luc

? W

p." Then silence. Elara never knew what they meant. Or how Roman got Elio. She had no answer

oor snapped her

her shirt. Pushed

ther side, arms fold

. sharp. Elio doesn't like ch

ed. "Of

o her. "He asked

mall smile. "He'

dn't smi

he said, voice low. "He barely spoke after-"

," she w

time. Not like a man admiring a woman-

nd me of

art st

e was distant now, almost bitte

ngs scream

ost said. But she smiled polit

nd longer. Then tur

, then slid to the floor, b

cry. Not he

arely

d down the hall. The house was still. Cold. Museum

living room floor, building towers with plastic

e back,"

her eyes. "Of

. "This is a space

him. "Then let's

Just like that. Like no time had passed. L

he just held him and

llway, some

ma

o the light. His eyes weren't suspicio

open up to peo

"Sometimes kids fee

as if that st

and. "Can she stay

nswer. He just

ching her too closely. Looking fo

staff had disappeared into corners of the

ow you my t

, carved with wolves. She remembered it-she'd stolen it from Rom

x and pulled out

s?" she as

m," he

eath c

d in every line-but there was no mis

was

thickly. "Sh

sing to me. B

speak, but her

hispered. "Sometimes... grownups

she's never

losed h

already did

his head. "A

d. "Yeah.

her cheek. "I like when y

cing herself to smile. "I

e longer she stayed, the

io was asleep, Elara

Roman knew. What Lucia

e desk, pullin

ers. Legal c

th

ila f

d it open

were

h

a train station. At a

nished fro

n lookin

found

move, the study d

hirled

od in the

ce was

ca

hosts," he said. "Th

t dry. Her pu

, "how someone disappears off the map. No ID. No digital

ped inc

was

You don't know what y

lean

k I do,

ing to go to drag the truth out of her-and what happens when he uncov