CONTINUED: Elena nodded. She always nodded. During the day, she scrubbed floors and polished surfaces while Diane supervised from a distance. At night, when the house was meant to sleep, the crying began. Elena heard it while washing dishes, while emptying trash, while turning off lights. It was the sound of fear being swallowed, and it tightened something deep in her chest.
She recognized that sound. One evening, unable to ignore it any longer, Elena climbed the stairs slowly, her heart pounding with each step. She paused outside the bedroom and looked inside.
