s silent when Christop

h pity and quickly looked away. "S

e hall. The double doors t

. She wasn't playing. She was just pre

Bong

in the doorway. "Y

card is for my husband. My husba

," Christopher said. "I ne

ench. Her face was twisted.

er blinke

e you sleepi

said. "She's... a

hat followed

She walked towar

ng with her is a job. Bei

t simply.

ad slapped her. "I gave you

," Christopher said

him. She wanted to scratch that indiffe

She smoothed her ski

eep in the servant's quarters. The baseme

er nodded

d and wa

room was small, cold, and smelled of damp concrete

is MP3 player from his pocket-an old

ed Lullaby_Unknown. It wasn't his music. It was a reco

essed

oothing mechanism, a low, vibration in his chest that helped regulate his breathing

illary coul

She felt humiliated.

oor. She wanted to yell at him again. She wante

ched th

ard so

vo

ightly off-key in places, but it was filled with

ary

stop

voice. Christopher had no rh

was... brok

st the wood. The humming

s breath

y. She didn't

clarity, that she didn't know