Liliana sat beside me.
Not across the room. Not from the armchair where she had been watching everything with that careful composed face since Vanir arrived. Beside me. Same cushion. She moved to do it and saw no reason to drag it out.
She touched my hand.
Just that. Palm resting over the back of my hand, light and still.
I looked at her.
She was already looking at me. The watchfulness was gone and something softer had replaced it.....something she didn't usually let out in rooms with other people.
"Why are you so down?"
Before I had anything to say to that she reached up with both hands and held my face between them. Thumbs at my jaw. Fingers against my cheeks.
Then she pulled the corners of my mouth up.
On purpose. Like fixing a picture on a wall.
I stared at her.
She held it there and studied the result with complete seriousness, the way someone checks their work.
"There," she said. "Better."
"You manually installed a smile on my face."
