After they left the hospital, the sun was already high. Nora tried to shake off the heavy air that had followed them from the hospital room. She turned to the boys. "Let's go do something fun!" she said, her voice a little too cheerful.
Micah gave a soft shake of his head. "Sorry, I can't today."
Darcy glanced at Nora. "You have school, Nora."
Nora puffed her cheeks and groaned. "Ugh, I was hoping to skip…"
Darcy raised an eyebrow, and Nora quickly gave up the idea.
"What about this weekend?" she asked instead, hope echoing in her voice.
Micah's eyes stayed distant. "I'm busy. Maybe next week."
Nora visibly withered, her face fell, shoulders slumped. But she did not complain. Even she could tell something was wrong. The tension in the air wasn't something a chit-chat could fix. Everyone had gone quiet since the doctor left.
Micah had been lost in thought, his expression heavy. Even her brother didn't try to start a conversation with him.
