The kitchen smelled like coffee. Arianne had brewed it herself, which meant it was strong enough to strip paint. She'd counted the grounds to the gram, the same way she did everything. He hadn't commented. Some battles weren't worth fighting.
The twins were at the table. Lily was eating her toast in identical bites, each one the same size. Leo was pushing his eggs around his plate, his attention divided between breakfast and the tablet propped against his juice glass. He'd been scrolling through the aquarium photos again. The manta ray had been on the screen for ten minutes.
Franz sat across from Arianne. She was reading something on her phone. Her face was flat.
"Morning," he said. "The weather's changing."
"Yes." She set the phone face-down. Franz waited. He'd learned that silence like that was never empty.
"I agree," she said.
Franz didn't move. "Agree with what?"
"Your suggestion. The announcement." She set down the phone. "We should reveal the marriage. And the baby."
