Chapter 69: A Quiet Morning

A Quiet Morning The sun had barely risen over the horizon when Jacquie slipped out of the house, her movements quiet and deliberate. Noah, still groggy from the late night of party cleanup, didn't notice her departure at first. But as he began to stir, he realized that something was off. The house was too quiet, and Jacquie was nowhere to be found. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his feet dangling in the air. That's when he saw her purse and keys were gone. A nagging sense of unease crept into his mind as he wondered where she could be. She was usually still asleep at this hour, not out and about. Noah pushed the thoughts aside and focused on getting the kids ready for the day. He shuffled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed, and began to make breakfast. Ava and Ellie-Mae were still sleeping, but Mya was up and about, playing with her toys on the living room floor. As he cracked eggs into a bowl and began to scramble them, Noah's mind kept wandering back to Jacquie. What was she doing out of the house so early? And why hadn't she told him where she was going? A small part of him wondered if she was hiding something from him. The eggs were done, and Noah served them up with some toast and fruit. The kids began to stir, and soon the kitchen was filled with the sounds of chatter and clinking dishes. Noah tried to shake off the feeling of unease, telling himself he was just being paranoid. But as he looked around at the happy chaos of his family, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As the morning wore on, Noah found himself growing more and more restless. He tried to distract himself with laundry and tidying up the house, but his mind kept drifting back to Jacquie. Where was she? And what was she doing? The phone rang, breaking the silence, and Noah's heart skipped a beat as he saw Jacquie's name on the screen. He hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice cautious. "Hey, where are you?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Noah wondered if Jacquie had hung up. But then her voice came on, bright and cheerful. "I'm just running some errands, hon. I'll be back soon." Noah's unease spiked. Errands? At 7 am? He wanted to press her for more information, but something held him back. "Okay," he said finally, trying to sound casual. "Be careful, and I'll see you soon." As he hung up the phone, Noah couldn't shake the feeling that Jacquie was hiding something from him. And he was determined to find out what it was.