"Hi."
That was all Elena could manage. One word small, trembling, and almost swallowed by the silence that followed.
"Hey," Carl replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. The air between them turned thick enough to choke on.
It was the kind of silence that made everyone else in the room exchange nervous glances but pretend not to notice the kind where words just… refused to cooperate.
Elena twisted a strand of hair around her finger, then immediately dropped it. Carl gave a small, awkward cough. Valerie bit her lip to keep from stepping in too soon. Even Dominic looked like he wanted to grab a remote and fast-forward through the moment.
Anya stood between them, clutching her stuffed bunny, her gaze darting from one adult to another as if trying to figure out why no one was talking.
Carl tried to smile. "So… uh, nice place."
"Thanks," Elena replied automatically, glancing around as if she was seeing her own home for the first time.
