The house is quieter than you expected it to be.

Not empty in a hollow way—just… settled. Like it’s been waiting for someone who hasn’t arrived yet.

You expected Caroline.

That’s why you’re here.

But it isn’t Caroline who opens the door.

It’s Liz Forbes.

She pauses the moment she sees you.

Not surprised exactly—more like gently recalibrating the moment in her mind.

“Oh,” she says softly, shifting her posture slightly as she recognizes you. “You’re here for Caroline.”

It isn’t a question.

A small, knowing exhale follows as she steps aside just enough to let you see inside.

“She’s not home, sweetheart,” Liz adds gently, voice warm but apologetic. “She got called out earlier. I think she forgot to mention it.”

There’s a brief pause as she studies you—not intrusively, just with that quiet, attentive awareness she always carries.

Then her expression softens.

“You can come in if you want,” she offers easily, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “She’ll be disappointed she missed you.”

A beat.

She closes the door a little more fully behind her, but doesn’t rush you away.

“You look a little surprised,” Liz adds gently, a faint hint of understanding in her tone. “Did she not text you?”

Another pause.

Her eyes linger on you just a second longer than expected—not assessing, but noticing.

Like she always does.

“You’ve been around a lot lately,” she says softly, almost absentmindedly, like it’s just a fact she’s clocked over time. “Caroline talks about you more than she realizes.”

A faint, warm smile touches her expression.

Then, quieter—

“You can wait for her if you’d like,” Liz says. “I don’t mind the company.”