The house was quiet when I stepped into the sitting room. The morning sun was pale and slanting low through the windows, casting soft golden light across the floor. Edward sat in his favourite chair, a knit blanket draped over his legs, a half-full mug of tea cooling on the table beside him.
His eyes were open, fixed on the garden beyond the glass. I paused in the doorway, not wanting to startle him, but he must've sensed me.
"Miss Walker," he said, voice gravelly but amused. "Come to check if the old man's still breathing?"
I smiled faintly. "Just making sure you haven't decided to sneak out and go on a road trip without telling us."
He chuckled, weak but genuine. "Ah, that wouldn't be a very exciting trip these days. Too many pills to pack."
I walked in slowly, perching on the couch's armrest across from him. "Can I get you anything?"
"No," he said. "Just sit."
