There it was.
The arithmetic again.
Ethan did not lie to her.
"Yes. Not comfortably forever, but we're not in danger. I can find work."
"Would I still be able to go away for school?"
"We're not making this decision around your tuition."
"That's not what I asked."
Ethan looked down at his hands.
"We'll figure it out."
Claire nodded because that had been the phrase of her childhood. When Lauren died, when the furnace failed, when the car broke, when the medical bills arrived, Ethan always said the same thing.
We'll figure it out.
This time Claire returned it.
"Then don't go back just because you're scared for me."
Ethan looked at her for a long moment.
"You're seventeen. Stop being reasonable."
"I learned it from the guy who alphabetizes screws."
"They're sorted by thread pitch."
"That's worse."
He laughed, and it was the first real laugh he had managed all day.
The next morning, Vanessa arrived at Blackwood at six fifteen.
She did not go to her office first.
She walked to line four.
The night crew was still finishing documentation. Diane Reyes stood at the quality station reviewing data. Noel was entering tool readings into the maintenance log.
When Vanessa appeared, both stiffened.
She noticed.
That was new.
Before, she would have interpreted the reaction as respect or focus. Now she saw fear mixed with uncertainty.
"Morning," Vanessa said.
"Morning," Diane replied.
Vanessa looked toward the break area.
The paper cup Ethan had used was gone.
"How long were you here with him?" Vanessa asked.
Diane did not pretend not to understand.
"All night."
"Why didn't you say anything yesterday?"
Diane's face changed.
"Because you weren't asking."
Vanessa held still.
It would have been easy to punish the tone.
She didn't.
"What would have happened if you had interrupted me?"
Diane looked toward Noel, then back at Vanessa.
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"I didn't know."
"What did you think?"
"That Grant would remember my name."
The answer was not dramatic. That made it worse.