Lana had been acting strange for weeks, but I blamed it on teenage moodiness. Then my nephew announced at a family lunch that he’d heard her and Albert whispering about me behind a locked door, and their smiles didn’t look real. The next day they left on a “quick errand,” and I followed them.
I didn’t notice Lana changing all at once.
It was more like the house got quieter, but not peaceful. Like we were all listening for something to break.
She’s 16, so I told myself it was normal. Teens are secretive.
Teens treat parents like background noise.
But this felt different. This felt planned.
She guarded her phone like it was evidence. If I walked into the kitchen, she’d tilt the screen away and smile too fast.
When I asked, “Who’s that?” she’d simply say, “No one.”
Her door stayed shut more. When I knocked, she took a beat too long to answer. Once I pushed in anyway and she snapped, “Can you not?”
Albert told me I was overthinking.
“She’s a teenager,” he said, rinsing a plate. “They get weird.”
I wanted to believe him. We got married not long ago, and blending a family is delicate.
I kept wondering if I’d messed it up.
Then Lana started getting closer to him. Not distant from everyone. Just distant from me.
They went on “errands” together.
They had muted talks in the garage with the door half down. When I stepped outside, they’d stop like they’d been caught.
One night I caught them in the hallway, both staring at the floor. Lana’s fingers were twisted together so tight her knuckles went white.
Albert wore that careful calm he gets when he’s managing something.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Lana said too quickly. Albert added, “Just talking,” with a smile that arrived late.
Then came my sister’s family lunch, loud and crowded on purpose. Food everywhere.
Opinions everywhere. My nephew sitting there like a menace with a fork.
Mid-bite, he raised his fork. “I HEARD LANA AND UNCLE ALBERT WHISPERING ABOUT YOU IN A LOCKED ROOM!”
He laughed so hard he snorted.
My sister smacked his arm and hissed his name, but he leaned in. “They said YOU CAN’T KNOW SOMETHING! What are they hiding?”
The table went quiet and stiff.
My stomach dropped before my mind caught up. Across from me, Lana froze with her glass halfway to her lips.
Albert’s shoulders tensed, then relaxed too fast. His voice turned bright and polished.
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