At 2 A.M., a Hidden

and I sat outside while Noah slept in a portable crib near the open doors. Fireflies blinked over the lawn. Somewhere beyond the trees, the Sound reflected the last pink light of sunset.

Ava handed me a glass of iced tea.

“I used to hate how quiet this house was,” she said.

I looked at her.

“I thought quiet meant I was alone.”

I set the glass down.

“And continue reading …