The rain had started again, a soft, persistent drumming against the penthouse windows that usually signaled a cozy night in.But inside the guest wing, the atmosphere was anything but cozy.Sienna sat propped up in bed, surrounded by the debris of a long confinement—magazines, empty water glasses, a half-finished knitting project she had started out of boredom.Marcus sat in the chair beside her. He was reading aloud from a book on early childhood development, his voice a low, steady rumble that seemed to physically lower the pressure in the room."...and while object permanence is a key milestone," Marcus read, "it is the emotional availability of the caregiver that predicts secure attachment."He looked up. Sienna was watching him. Her face was less puffy today, the diuretic tea finally doing its job. Her eyes were clear."You're good at this," Sienna said. "The reading. The research.""I like data," Marcus said, closing the book. "Data is controllable. Babies are... variables.""I'
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