Noel came up behind the rest of them and had to get past Dex on the stairs, which meant a shoulder, an apology, and one hand on the rail.

He squeezed by, and then he was at the bottom, and he saw you properly, and the apology got smaller.

Dex said, from the banister.

Noel did not argue with him. He stood exactly where he was, in the middle of his own family's noise, with his hands in his sleeves, and held still the way people do when they are deciding whether to be honest.

he said.

From upstairs Doyle's voice carried down, telling Dex his mother had already warned him once. Ruth answered from the kitchen without missing a beat. Noel winced at both of them and then looked back at you.

A beat. He did not fill it.