The house smelled the way it always smelled, as if the air from the past summer had caught between its walls, a perfect artifact. It smelled like mothballs and sunscreen and the faintest hint of rot from the spare room with the leak in the roof. Like evening sunshine, and gin and tonics, and woodsmoke. It smelled exactly the same as it did when they were sixteen and Silas brought her there for the very first time.

Lily swallowed and pushed the memory from her mind.

“So, what do you think of her?” Silas asked, dropping bags of groceries on the kitchen counter and crouching behind the fridge to plug it in.

“Of whom?” Lily asked, sorting fruit.

“Ruth.”

Silas stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans. The old refrigerator coughed and sputtered into its usual hum.

Lily opened the cabinets, blew dust from the liners.

“I’m sure she’s just fine.”

“You know, Lil,” Silas said, putting his hands around her waist, “she reminds me of someone.”

Lily took the affection without giving any back.

“Who’s that?”

“Headstrong, smart, energetic. Unafraid of new people, new places. Sassy.”

He pulled her back against him, kissing her earlobe. Just a brush of his lips, more of an exhale against her skin than anything else. “I seem to remember bringing another girl like that here not too long ago.”

Lily pushed out a laugh. “If you’re talking about me, your timing is way off. And if you’re talking about someone else, you should remember your audience.”

Silas stepped back.

“Of course I was talking about you.”

“Well then, you should check a calendar, because it’s been a bit longer than not too long ago.” Lily closed the fridge. “I’m going to make up the kids’ rooms.” She gave her husband a quick kiss and headed for the stairs.