"Hello," Victor said, his voice warm and unsurprised, as though he had been waiting for the call rather than interrupted by it.
"It's me," Willow replied, settling more fully into the sofa, the phone pressed lightly to her ear. She glanced once at the nearly empty apartment, then back to the desk where the folded note lay. "I just finished here. The movers left a little while ago."
"I figured today would be the day," he said easily. "I assume everything went smoothly."
"It did," she answered. "They were efficient. Loud. Very committed to tape." A faint smile touched her mouth as she spoke. "By three o'clock there wasn't much left to pack."
"I'm relieved to hear that," Victor said, and there was no performative concern in his tone, only genuine attentiveness. "You sound steady."
"I am," Willow said, and realized it was true in a way that didn't require effort. "Tired, but steady."
