Neither she nor Lily said anything about his tardiness, but their silence was deafening. He had promised a special night—a chance to be a proper family, even if just for a few hours. And now, all he had were the last fifteen minutes of their reserved time.
They tried to make the best of it, but Patrick couldn’t shake the dark cloud hanging over him. Lily chattered excitedly about her day, showing him the small gifts she had received, but Patrick’s heart wasn’t in it.