A Night of Parental Absence

Victoria announced the dinner plans with a bright, almost brittle, cheerfulness that Ila had come to associate with moments of forced normalcy. “Arthur and I have a business dinner tonight, darling,” she’d said, her eyes flitting between Ila and Leo, who was lounging at the kitchen island, a smirk playing on his lips. “Just a quick one. We’ll be back before you know it.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with an unspoken implication that sent a shiver down Ila’s spine. *Just a quick one.* But it was enough. It was more than enough. The house, usually a sanctuary, suddenly felt vast and echoing, filled with a silence that was more terrifying than any noise. She could feel Leo’s gaze on her, a familiar, unsettling weight, and her stomach twisted into a knot. She’d spent weeks perfecting the art of invisibility, of making herself small and unobtrusive, but tonight, she felt exposed, a lone moth drawn to a flame.

“Don’t worry, Ila,” Leo had chimed in, his voice laced with an overly solicitous tone that made her skin crawl. “We’ll keep each other company. It’ll be fun.”