hrough the cheap plastic bl

small aluminum pot was at a rolling boil. Two white eg

t squeak of a floo

rned h

ears old. He wore a faded, oversized t

y back behind the doorframe, his small hands gripping the wood so ha

t shattered

led at him, starved him, and blamed him for ruining her life. And yet,

. She swallowed hard, fighting th

p into a soft, wobbly smile. She rais

another inch, bracing himself as if he

y breath. She turned

ggs out of the water. She ran it under the cold tap for

ers moved quickly, peeling away the white fragments

loor. She stopped two feet away from Leo

t the warm,

r voice was thick with un

, then back at the food. Slowly, trembling viol

the warm egg i

a live grenade. He loo

ps sounded in

as fully dressed in his crisp,

ooked at Clara crouching on the flo

ked. His eyes narrowe

's small shoulder. With a smooth, tactical motion, he p

ing for the trap to spring. Waiting fo

e didn't argue. She stood up, wiped her hands on her apr

breakfast was over i

ardboard boxes. They were filled with canned goods, bags of flo

demanded he load every single box into

arms around the heaviest box of flour

that

e looked over

grabbed the edge of the heavy cardboard

ugar," Clara said firmly. "Leo need

looked at her like she

through it and pulled out two of the thinnest, cheapest towels. Then s

l into a flimsy pl

and shoved the plastic

e taking to my moth

tic, crinkling bag in his han

e said, his voice low and warning,

itter laugh. Her eyes h

try," C

om the hook by the door. "Let's go.

ck. For the first time since he met her, he real