Chapter 262: Breakfast of Broken Things
The kitchen smelled of pancakes and coffee.
My mother stood at the stove, her back to me. Her shoulders were stiff, her hands steady on the spatula. She didn't turn when I entered.
My father sat at the table, staring at his plate. His hands were folded in his lap. He looked smaller than I remembered. Diminished.
Lilith was already eating, her fork moving mechanically, her eyes fixed on her plate.
I sat down.
No one spoke.
The only sounds were the clink of forks and the sizzle of the pan.
My mother set a fresh plate of pancakes in the center of the table. Then she sat down across from my father. She didn't take any for herself.
"Eat," she said. Not to anyone in particular.
I took a pancake. Lilith took one. My father didn't move.
"Haris." My mother's voice was quiet. "Eat."
He looked up at her. His eyes were red. "I'm not hungry."
"You need to keep your strength."
