Chapter 27. The Morning After

Diana woke to her mother asking Gabriel how he liked his eggs.

He answered so quietly that she couldn't hear the words. A minute later, her mother said, “Then you should have said fried. I'm already doing them.”

Diana smiled into her pillow.

Her wrist hurt. Her shoulder felt as though someone had driven a knee into it, which someone probably had. But the bed beside her was still warm, and through the open door came the smell of toast.

She found them in the kitchen. Gabriel was wearing yesterday's shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her mother had given him a tea towel and appeared to consider him sufficiently trained to dry plates.

“I see you've been promoted,” Diana said.

“There's a probation period.”

Her mother slid an egg onto a plate. “He puts the cups away wet.”

“A serious concern.”

Gabriel looked over his shoulder at Diana. His smile changed when he saw her standing barefoot in the doorway, hair flatt