“It’s just a routine check,” Elise replied gently. Daniel’s jaw tightened. “I’ll bring her myself later.” Olivia’s eyes pleaded for Elise to let it go. Against instinct, she nodded and stepped back, her pulse quickening with quiet unease.
As the conversation drifted to feeding schedules and paperwork, Daniel kept his arm around Olivia’s chair like a warning. Elise noted every detail—the tension, the silence, the way Olivia’s laughter sounded more like permission than joy.