Nathan had been practicing something in his room for three days.
This was not unusual. Nathan practiced guitar constantly—scales, chord progressions, fragments of songs that he would play over and over until his fingers found the right frets. The sound drifted up from the second floor at all hours, soft and slightly hesitant, like someone learning a new language. Eleanor had described his playing as "technically improving but emotionally underdeveloped," which Nathan had taken as encouragement because Eleanor did not give compliments unless they were earned, and even her criticisms were a form of attention.
