But I noticed the details.
Her phone was always face down on the table. Whenever it rang, she would suddenly step out of the room to answer it. During family dinners, she often seemed distracted, as if her mind were somewhere else entirely.
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I tried to brush it off at first. Nobody wants to think the worst about their own family.
Still, the feeling would not leave me.
One evening, I watched Victoria excuse herself during dinner at my house. She walked into the hallway and answered a call in a hushed voice. When she came back, Ethan asked who it was.
"Just work," she said quickly.
She smiled and took another bite of her pasta.
Ethan nodded without hesitation.
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But something about the way she avoided eye contact with me made my stomach twist.
A mother notices things others ignore.
Months passed, and the feeling only grew stronger.
