Chapter 5 - Footsteps in the Hall
The chime came from down the hall, soft and bright, the sound our elevator made when it locked onto our floor. I felt it more than I heard it at first, a little lift under my ribs. Vanessa heard it too. Her smirk dropped all at once. She uncrossed her arms and her hands went to her lap, smoothing the black satin over her thighs twice, quick and practiced. The diamond necklace caught the chandelier light as she sat up straighter.
Dad heard it and his whole body changed. He had been standing over me with that tight jaw, looking down like he didn't know what to do with me. Now he glanced toward the entry, then back at the long table, then at me. His eyes did the math fast.
"Elena," he said, low. He didn't wait for me to answer. His hands went under my arms and he lifted me clean off the floor. My pink dress puffed up with the air and my shoes swung. He carried me in two long steps, away from the gold chair and the white plates and the tall candles, all the way to the far windows where the daylight was strongest.
The city was right there behind the glass. Little cars moved far below and the skyline cut sharp against the blue. My breath fogged a tiny spot on the window when he set me down.
"Stay right here for me, okay?" he said. His beard brushed my cheek when he leaned in. He turned one of the heavy drapes a little, just enough that from the table you would have to look hard to see me. "Just for lunch. Be good."
Behind us, Rosa moved fast without making noise. I watched her in the reflection of the glass. She reached past my old spot at the table and picked up the water glass that had been sitting there, the one with my fingerprints on it. She tucked it against her apron and stepped back toward the wall. Now there were three places set neat in a row, white plates and rolled napkins with gold rings, and no sign I had ever been standing there.
Vanessa was smiling. It was a different smile than the one she had given me. This one lifted her cheeks and showed her teeth and reached nowhere near her eyes, but from far away it would have looked warm. She touched her necklace once to center it and folded her hands on the table like a picture.
"Daniel," she said, light and easy. "Get the door."
He squeezed my shoulder one last time. His hand was heavy and warm through the lace of my sleeve. Then he left me by the window and walked toward the entry. His shoes made no sound on the rug but I heard them click once when he hit the hardwood.
I pressed my pink clip flat against my hair so it wouldn't slip. I wanted to stay very still the way he asked. The sun made the window warm on my forehead.
A man's voice came from the hall, cheerful and loud. "Wow. Look at this view. You weren't kidding about the light."
Vanessa laughed, soft. "Come in, come in. We're just sitting down."
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I couldn't see the guest yet, only heard his steps getting closer and Dad's lower voice answering something I didn't catch. Rosa stood stiff by the sideboard with her hands clasped, eyes down. Nobody looked at the window. Nobody looked at me.
I stayed where Dad had parked me, half behind the curtain, watching their reflections move across the glass while the chandelier threw little rainbows over the table I wasn't allowed to sit at.
